


Keep Going

by OfficeChare



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Alone with dead bodies and monsters, Cybertron, Did I mention the main character is short, Gen, Mystery, Not that he'd let his height stop him, Short person struggles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:48:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28051920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfficeChare/pseuds/OfficeChare
Summary: Will get a proper summary once/if I get more meat on this story. For now though as to what you should expect..The story begins on Cybertron where a lone spark finds himself in a seemingly empty facility. We will follow him as he explores and discovers the world around him and uncovers the story behind his whereabouts. It begins innocently, but will take a darker turn at times, so expect depictions of horror sprinkled with wholesomeness.WARNING!This work is aprototypeso that I may, as the saying goes, get my shit together.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. The Journey Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Nobody move.  
> I'm trying to figure out how this works since it's my first time posting.
> 
> Time Legend:  
> Tick = Second  
> Klik = Minute  
> Joor = Hour  
> Cycle = Day  
> Groon = Week  
> Orn = Month  
> Vorn = Year  
> Deca-vorn = Decade  
> Milli-vorn = Millenia
> 
> Normal  
>  _Thoughts or word emphasis_  
>  **Uhhh, stuff happens?**  
>  System messages/text

...

..87%

93%

98%

** 100% ******

****

A gasp and an intake. _A rough awakening if there ever was one._ He thinks as he sits up and coughs out the dust that has accumulated on his frame and in his vents.. _Wait, dust?_ With a start the mech onlines his optics, each shutter feeling like sand rubbing against his optics. With optical lubricant now making its way through the ducts near them and soothing the pain he blinks a few more times.

He is now starting to register sound as his audials boot up. Leaning back on one servo as the other comes up to rub his faceplate he hears a faint scraping sound, only now realizing that the surface underneath the supporting servo isn't smooth. _What the?_ He looks down, grabbing a servoful of _rubble?_ He blinks contemplatively at the sight of small shards of glass and other various bits and pieces, the light from his purple optics reflecting slightly on the rough edges of the pieces. Opening his servo, letting the pieces shift and fall from in between his digits and down with faint dings and clinks. His gaze shifts to his pedes which are also covered in small bits and pieces of debris, but most noticeably _glass._ His helm swiftly turns, optics focusing on the inner edge of the stasis pod where sharp pieces of the glass lid decorate its edges as they still cling to the frame. _The lid?_ He lifts a servo and plucks one of the lone long and sharp pieces, giving it a brief onceover as he frowns. _Broken? But how?_ His gaze drifts from the small piece, letting it go as he observes the rest of the room. _Or what's left of it, this place is a mess._

He shifts his pedes, the knee guards catching more of the broken glass making it shift, break off and crumble down with faint clattering noises, which are drowned out by the louder scraping coming from him rising and stepping out of the pod. The ground and everything as far as he can see is littered with more rubble and whatsits, the pieces under his pedes squeaking and grinding agaist the probably once smooth an clean floor.

 _Many questions and little to no answers. This place is eerily quiet._ So quiet that each noise he makes simply by moving around sounds loud to his audials. The room he is in is half caved in. The pods on that side of the room are crushed under large pieces metal debris that looks as if it burst through the wall, cables, wires and other rubbish littering the wreckage and the floor around it. The tears in the ceiling expose cables that hang limply from the openings, many of which reach the floor.

He turns away from the wreckage and starts making his way towards the door to this room. Raising a servo to move the cables and wires in his way to the side, some of which shift and fall to the ground, others on his helm and shoulder guards, which makes him flinch at the sudden contact. After clearing the mess of wires he spots a status terminal, ignoring the wires decorating his frame in favor of some possible info, he rushes to it.

 _Come on, work._ He lowers his servos to the terminal, but it doesn't respond. He tries a manual startup. _Nothing._ He frowns.  
Searching around the terminal he spots nothing out of place except for a few inward dents on the wall. _Inward dents?_ He does a doubletake and hastily moves towards the door as need to know gets the better of him.

Clank!  
Crash!

He collided with the door as it didn't automatically open to the command he sent the small door terminal. Too startled, the mech didn't even manage to make a sound besides a staticy 'ow' upon sitting up and rubbing his helm.

"Seriously? Is there no power at all in here?" He scoffs and rolls his optics as he gets back up, brushing debris and the few stuck wires off his frame in the process. Absentmindedly he resets his vocalizer, his voice having been gravelly and staticy from being unused.

Stepping up to the door once more he doesn't bother with the terminal this time and instead wedges his digits in the small slit in the middle, then pulls to the sides. The door splits open with an audial-splitting screech. A twitch from an optic is all the attention the sound from it gets as the mech pushes into the small opening to get a better grip and further spread the door open. With another creak the door is open eniough and the mech steps into the hallway. Looking to the left he spots a huge scorched hole in the floor and outward dents in the adjacent wall, right on the other side of which lies the broken terminal.

 _Right, so there's my answer to the terminal problem._ He crouches down to examine the hole and the dents, venting out a sigh. One servo traces the damage with feather light touches from the sensitive digits, his optics half-lidded. The hallway forwards from here is completely dark, the cables in the floor - the power supply - having been reduced to a poor state by whatever did all this damage. He shifts and looks behind him where the hallway is dimly lit by emergency lights.

"So here I am with not a spark in sight. What I wouldn't give for somebot to just either wake me up or come in here and escort me out, telling me there was just a small accident. Yeah. Maybe that's all this is. A small accident. I'll hold on to that thought," He grumbles and stands up, giving one more glance to the damaged floor before turning and walking down the dimly lit hallway.

Only his pedesteps echo in the empty hallways, an emergency light he passes flickering every once in a while.

 _The silence. Primus, I hate the silence._ He shutters his optics and stops walking as a soft ringing fills his helm and his spark skips a pulse. Taking a deep vent and curling his digits he relaxes his tense shoulders. Then he listens. His sensitive audials and other various sensors start picking up smaller details, the additional sound soothing his rising nervousness whilst his spark continues to skip increasing amounts of pulses. He senses the buzzing of the light fixtures, his own systems humming quietly, a flickering light behind him to the left. _Now that I've closed my optics I don't think I want to even open them again just to see the empty and quiet hallway._

He focuses on his HUD that's feeding him other types of various data. To conclude, most of what he sees is running optimally. Energon levels are ok, all sensory systems normal. Physically he only feels the effects of the time he spent in stasis, the lack of movement making everything feel sore. Checking his chronometer he finds nothing useful. The chronometer display is stuck blinking at [00 - 00 - XX?] with a quote nearby advising him to seek a medical assistance to correct the chronometer. The mech would have rolled his optics if they weren't closed. _Of course the one thing that could answer at least some of the questions I have right at this moment does not function properly._ Venting in slight frustration the mech rolls his shoulders and goes back to digging through his processor, right as his spark starts feeling cold.

The more he keeps going like this the more he feels like he's missing something, as if he forgot something, but he knows it's just there out of his metaphorical reach. Focusing on that he digs deeper; his spark now mildly stinging. He starts seeing some strange glyphs among the Cy-Standard ones his systems use. Frowning slightly he tries isolating the glyphs when they appear, emphasis on _tries. That's strange. I'm quite sure that's not normal. Am I glitching? A systems malfunction, maybe damage it couldn't pick up on._ The mech focuses once more, hoping to find the root of the problem.

His HUD flickers for a moment becoming different than he's used to, more complex and intricate. Data everywhere - [functioning server nearby > hallway A7-3 > leftleftle-], fl **as** hinG-g A **Cc** ros **s** -s hi-i **S** VI **sI** - **si** oN- **Nn** -

If the splitting helmache hitting him like a constructicon on a roll didn't snap him out of his daze then the fact that his aft connected with the floor sure did. He doesn't even register the loud noise of aft to floor as his optics fly open and servos come up to grip at the sides of his helm. His vocalizer glitches leaving mouth to be opened wide in a silent scream. The mech curls up, his hyperventing to cool his heated frame now the loudest sound in his audials. His spark is burning.

 _P-please_. He didn't know what he was begging for. _Plea-s-se stop._ He can only vaguely mouth the words, his vocalizer isn't responding. _I-I can't._

He feels like he's losing his grip on something, like something important is slowly being pulled away or more accurately sucked out of him along with the agonizing pain. The mech can't muster up the strength to fight it, whatever _it_ is. The presence is so heavy he feels lost like a grain in the Sea of Rust.

A sensation rips through him as if he was rapidly falling. Helm dizzying and vision glitching as glyphs continue to rapidly blink across his HUD. Feeling disoriented he begins looking around to get a sense of where he is. He realizes he's shaking, spasming even and it isn't making it any easier on him nor does it soothe his growing panic.

Feeling like the hallway stretches on to infinity, the two sides exposing his being to the universe with their emptiness, he begins to feel exposed. Hastily, but shakily getting up with the help of the wall he spots a door not too far from him and begins the journey diagonally across the hall one step at a time, swaying each time his pedes touch the floor. The more steps he takes, the more hurried his pace gets; it goes to the point he's stumbling and catching himself on the door. Optics wide and glazed over, vents working hard he finds the small seam in the door and plunges his digits into it. It opens with a creak and less resistance than the last one. The mech doesn't bother going all the way, stopping when the slit is just large enough for him to squeeze through.

Shuttering his optics he slowly slides down the wall next to the door, servo coming to rub his faceplate as his frame is filled with a buzzing feeling. He no longer feels heavy and oppressed, instead he feels light, almost weightless. A tight and unyielding gripping feeling takes hold of his spark and its chamber, the feeling not painful nor oppressive, it is simply a vice-like grip.

The unpleasant sensations decrease in intensity, being replaced by a faint feeling of weightlessness and disembodiment. His vents no longer feel strained, instead each intake provides him with all the air he needs to cool down and more. Time seems to stretch slightly, the ticks becoming longer. Then he knows no more.

* * *

Nothing. There is nothing. Well, that's not entirely true. There's an endless darkness, void of any sparks except one.

And then there were two.

**I see you, my child.**

One vast on an infinite scale. The other not knowing what to make of its - no that's not right - his situation.

**And I see what may be to come.**

The ancient one pauses for a moment.

**I sense your confusion, my child. However there is also curiosity and a wish. Come closer, do not be afraid.**

_Vast-gentle-protect_

The small one flickers a bit before slowly making its way closer, wherever that is. He feels the ancient one watching, as if judging his very being.

**What is it that you long for, pure Spark?**

_Wish._

The small one sways a bit and then slows to a stop, letting it flow out of his being in a way he never knew was possible. He feels lighter, more free than ever, as if he is not burdened by anything.

_Surprise-thoughtful-considering_

**You are an interesting one.. I have seen many whom you resemble, yet I feel your longing to be unlike that of any other. It is in your very being, not tied to any plane, but the plane its self.**

The flowing wavers not, but the small one somewhat focuses back on the ancient one when he speaks. The tethers spread, but his being does not lessen, only reaching out for what it wishes for.

_Reach-hold-gaze_

**Are you sure this is what you want?**

_Warning-care-danger-hardship-path-wish_

The small one yet again wavers not, only watching and reaching back. He does not know what is to come. A small sliver of confusion mingles with unbridled certainty in many forms.

_Question-other-where_

**What of the other one? He rests now, where All are One.**

_Uncertain-question-fault_

**No my Little One, it is not your doing. He was put in stasis to preserve his failing systems and as the stasis ended so too did his longevity.**

_Uncertain-fault_

_Amused-understanding_

**Oh Little One, it is neither your fault nor mine. I merely hastened the process so that he would not suffer long.**

_Understanding-gaze_

**Time. Here it is but an illusion, there it is a symbol of passing and _now_ it is time. **

_Guiding-watchful_

The small one flickers a bit before it starts coming closer once more only to be stopped by the ancient one.

**No, my child. Not this kind of time.**

_Unusual-path-promise_

**Although the world may be falling apart around my children in these trying times you shall have some guidance.**

The small ones reaction is cut short as it flares before disappearing.

_Eternal-ancient-watchful-action-gift_

**One shall prevail.**

* * *

He feels incredibly sore and yet he is unexplainably relaxed. Venting out a sigh as his systems hiss he opens his optics slightly and sees only darkness. The mechs optics take a moment to adjust, shapes slowly coming into view and as they do he feels like he's falling, but not fast with reason to panic. More like floating down slowly and as the floating feeling becomes a feeling of touching down he instantly becomes aware of his own frame.

His frame feels chilled, having unbeknownst to him, swiftly gone from overheating to cool and _new_ making him momentarily shiver. He leans his helm forward from where it was resting against the wall only to realize how heavy it suddenly feels and lets it fall back again with a dull thunk. He blinks slowly as he fights the rising urge to recharge, feeling too exhausted to think about much of anything. His yellow optics slowly drift closed and he falls into the blissful embrace of recharge.


	2. First steps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time Legend:  
> Tick = Second  
> Klik = Minute  
> Joor = Hour  
> Cycle = Day  
> Groon = Week  
> Orn = Month  
> Vorn = Year  
> Deca-vorn = Decade  
> Milli-vorn = Millenia

...  
  
..64%  
  
73%  
  
79%  
  
96%  
  
**100%**  
  
  
The whirr of internal systems booting up cuts the silence in the room. It takes longer than normal. The mech responds sluggishly to sensory data returning to his processor in full, giving a tired groan as the stiffness in his frame comes forth. Shifting slightly and lifting his helm he moves his neck cabling to loosen it up and get circulation going, following it up with other parts of his frame. He then relaxes for a moment to let his systems wake up slowly and leans his helm back against the wall non too gently.  
  
The mech sits up and focuses on his blinking HUD, automatically bringing up system data. Everything is normal, bar the stiffness in his frame. Focusing on memory files only brings up fragmented information. He can make out a detached sense of awakening, then pain, panic and finally relief which makes his optic ridges raise in surprise and confusion. Letting his expression fall back into neutral he begins to rise. Wobbling, he manages to stand up with the help of the wall he was leaning against before.  
  
Although the lighting is rather dim he can still make things out somewhat clearly. Looking at everything in the room briefly he comes to a conclusion. Either he is small or everything around him is huge.  
  
For the most part this room seems empty. The counters and cabinets lining every wall are all empty, only the counter in the middle of the room has things on it.  
  
He takes a tentative few first steps, growing more confidence as he goes and makes his way to the island counter. Fortunately for him he is tall enough to see over the countertop.  
  
His gaze never falters from the things, curiosity shining in his yellow optics like a youngling just starting to explore the world around him. _Not a problem, I'll just.._ He grabs the edge of the counter and jumps, lifting himself up on it. Shifting to stand again his gaze falls on the box thing nearest to him. It is a smooth matte dark grey rectangular metal container with filed edges and corners, the top of it meant to open down the middle long ways via a mechanical locking system. The mech crouches down, the light from his bright optics barely reflecting on the object small enough for him to be able to lift with ease.  
  
Pulling the container closer he inspects it from every angle, looking for a way to open it. _Hmm, nothing.._ Setting the box aside, deciding to maybe inspect it more later, he turns his attention to the bigger containers he would probably have more trouble lifting. Most of them seem to be made of some sort of simpler metal, the design reminding him of a..  
  
Crate - a slatted case used for transporting goods.  
  
He shutters his optics and shakes his helm slightly as the information flits across his HUD. The startled mech narrows his optics as he focuses on the received information again, bringing it up from his archives. _Huh, neat.._  
  
Dismissing the piece of information his gaze lifts, focusing back in on his surroundings and then falls on the contents of the.. _Crate, yeah that's it._ The crate seems to be filled with dozens of packaged smaller see-through containers of various shapes and sizes.  
  
Test tube - a thin glass tube closed at one end, used to hold small amounts of material for laboratory testing or experiments.  
Flask - a simple container for liquids.  
Measuring cup - a cup marked up in graded amounts.  
  
_Cup?_  
  
Cup - a container for drinking.  
  
Stopping his thoughts right there he stumbles back, information filling his processor out of nowhere overwhelming him. Unfortunately he took one step too many and falls back as his pede lands on thin air. In his panic he grabs a smaller crate sitting on top of a few other containers which does nothing to stop his descent, instead falling with him and spilling the contents everywhere.  
  
The mech dazedly looks around and at the small tubes now all over the floor and his frame.  
  
Siphon - a tube used to convey liquid upwards from a reservoir and then down to a lower level of its own accord. Once the liquid has been forced into the tube, typically by suction or immersion, flow continues unaided.  
  
_Okay._ The mech frowns slightly. The tiny amount of pain from the fall went forgotten as he picks up a _si_ _phon_ , gently squeezing the tube between his blunt digits. _Squishy.. I like it!_ His expression lifts as he shifts to a kneel and begins putting the spilled items back in their container. _I have to stop meeting with the floor so often, it's probably not good for me_.  
  
He picks up the box and stands before transferring both himself and the box back on the countertop. He pushes the box with siphons to the side, closer to the box he was unable to open and looks at the many other boxes and crates he's yet to explore. He beams as his curiosity burns and he begins shifting through all the things.  
  


* * *

  
  
The things he found were many and although at first he had no idea what exactly they were his HUD always tells him what that something is and what it's for. That makes him happy and it makes him happier knowing he can apparently use all these things for something else. _Maybe even together! Well, I haven't gotten to that yet, but when there's so many new and exciting things always grabbing your attention, it's hard to even focus!_  
  
He shakes his helm and glances behind him at all the things he just recently discovered. He made sure to put them all back where they belonged, all except that one box he can't seem to open. Which leaves him in his current situation, standing in front of the door that leads out of this room with the unopenable box in servo.  
  
The door is open enough for him to be able to exit and as he peeks his helm out into the hallway to look around he feels as if he came from the right. He doesn't remember coming this way though.  
  
_Well maybe I'm just tired. Yeah, maybe if I go this way my processor will catch up with my frame._ He walks out of the room and turns down that path.  
  
As he walks he continues getting the feeling he's retracing his steps without ever remembering having really been here. One of the dim lights to his right flickers making him glance at it worriedly. _I hope the lights don't all go out, it's already pretty dark in here._ He pushes down some of the mild fear that arose and brings forward the need to explore. _Well even if one gives out I'm sure there will be plenty others to keep me company and light the way._ His mood lifts before withering again when he notices the utter darkness coming up after an open door and a big hole in the ground. He falters in his steps before his wary attention is pulled away from the darkness to the open door. _I definitely won't be going that way, but I can still check this room._ He makes a beeline to the door.  
  
As soon as he's close enough to see into the room he stops and looks around. _Everything in there looks broken though._ His gaze once more draws to the darkness of the hallway further on from here. He stares down the path, unable to make out any details beyond a certain point.  
  
Nothing happens.  
  
Then his HUD lights up and he can feel something under his chestplates. Absentmindedly he brings his free servo to rub the area above his spark as he tries to make out both the feeling and what his HUD is telling him.  
  
The feeling near his spark is one of warning. His HUD spells out a message.  
  
Further exploration is currently unadvised.  
  
After first reading the message a symbol starts hovering in his vison at the beginning and approximate center of the dark hallway. A smaller window pops up on his HUD besides the warning.  
  
This symbol in simple terms means means "no". Further meaning is generally derived from either addon symbols or other sources. In this case it is painted in a way that means no passage.  
  
He reads the explanation and then the warning message again which has his curiosity spike once more. _I have a feeling I should trust this source, so for now I will file this place away and go see what's the other way._  
  
He does exactly that and as he's walking back again he takes note of some of the closed doors between the darkness and his original room. _Something else to maybe check out more later._ He passes by the flickering light again and as he watches it in passing he listens to his own steps. _It's really quiet here, besides myself and a few minor things like this light I can't really hear anything or anyone._  
  
He sets his gaze ahead once again as the feeling under his chestplate brushes over his frame once more. He's a little confused, but none the less focuses on what it's trying to express.  
  
**Not alone.**  
  
_What? You mean there is others here?_ He feels a small surge of excitement at meeting someone new in this quiet place.  
  
**Not alone. Warning.**  
  
This time there is a deep warning feeling attached to the message. The kind that has his armor stiffen on his frame. _Are you trying to warn me? Why, are the others mean or something?_  
  
He passes by the door of his original room and stops for a moment, listening for a response. He gets none, however a sliver of the feeling he got from the warning stays. He did not like that feeling.  
  
Archiving the warning at the back of his processor he focuses back on the hallway ahead and notices it opens up to a bigger space. Picking up the pace once more he soon arrives at the end of the hallway and stops to look around again. His optics widen and he lets out a gentle vent.  
  
The room is big and cylindrical. As he moves closer to the edge he counts the floors from the top down until he reaches a few down from his current level and stops, forgetting about that entirely. He stares as his processor stalls. Squinting his optic shutters and standing on the tips of his pedes to see better over the barrier he examines the mess. There's a whole lot of something down there. Besides the obvious bits and pieces that have fallen from upper floors or maybe even the ceiling, the bottom is covered with some material and there's enough of it at the edges to cover the many doorways. That's not to mention there's a lot of strange bumps elsewhere on the floor there as well.  
  
_Wonder what all of this stuff is._ _Now that I think of it there's more everywhere around here, though most of it is at the bottom._ He sweeps his gaze around again and his optics land on a staircase down to the level below. He turns his frame that way while looking at the entrance he came from for anything to tell him of his location. His optics land on the the sign on the wall next to the doorway with glyphs spelling a short message. He walks closer to the sign, trying to read what's on it. After a moment his HUD lights up and highlights the sign in glyphs he can understand. He reads the translation.  
  
Lab 03  
  
_Alright, at least now I know where exactly I came from._ He turns away from the sign - which makes his HUD dim - and walks to the stairs. As he starts descending the stairs he gets another nudge from his chest which makes him pause. He looks up as he waits for a message of some sort. There is nothing. No message comes which confuses him so he simply shakes his helm and goes to descend again. There is another nudge, more insistent this time and it makes him stop his advance.  
  
_It's almost as if it's more like a pull or push towards something._ Right after he manages to think that there's another lighter nudge. He decides to follow it back up the stairs. Hugging the box that he has been carrying to his front for some meager comfort he reaches the top of the stairs where he feels another nudge and so he follows the directions. The pulling and pushing leads him to stairs on this level that lead up to the floor above. He ascends these stairs and follows the directions to more stairs upwards.  
  
As he walks he lets his processor wander. _I wonder what I am doing in this place. I wonder what this place even is._ His curiosity burns again. _Maybe that should be my goal then? To find out what this place is and maybe what happened here._ His pedesteps pierce the silence and stillness of this facility. _I don't like the silence._ He looks around the place as he finishes ascending another set of stairs. _It's dark too, is it supposed to be this dark?_ _Maybe there's a way to chase the darkness away._ He fails to notice his HUD pulsing softly each time he makes a lofty goal in his processor.  
  
It's been a while since he has walked up any stairs. He looks up from where he'd been staring at his pedes. He gets startled by some scorch marks on the wall that at a glance looked like somebot in the shadows. He frowns softly, remembering the warning he was given about not being alone and the feeling that came attached to it. _Whoever they are can't be that bad, right?_ He keeps his optics on the mark as he passes it and almost walks by the entrance to the hallway he was supposed to go to.  
  
Shaking his helm to break those thoughts he moves closer to the entrance and stops before the sign on the wall next to it. His HUD lights up and translates as he focuses on the glyphs.  
  
Personal Quarters 01  
  
He blinks after reading the sign and looks at the hallway, his HUD dimming. _I didn't think of that._ It was a quiet almost sheepish thought. _Of course I would need a place to stay for a bit until I figure some stuff out._  
  
He walks into the hallway and looks at the doors which all have signs next to them. His HUD - ever helpful - translating all the glyphs for him. _They're all names I think. Names and some other words._ He picks a random door and walks closer to it to read the sign.  
  
01 Gearsolid - Maintenance and Engineering  
  
The last to words seem to be less elegant in writing. _So it's probably the name of whose quarters these were and maybe what they did?_ He looks turns away from this door and looks at the other signs with various names and occupations on them.  
  
02 Copper - Engineering  
  
03 Wirebar - Maintenance  
  
04 Bradawl - Engineering and Maintenance  
  
He keeps skimming the signs with his optics until they land on a blank one.  
  
08 -  
  
He stands in front of the door. _Well if no one was using these quarters then I am sure they shouldn't mind me borrowing this one too much._ He starts looking for a way to open the door and his optics land on a small rectangle in the wall next to the door lower than all of the signs. He looks at the other doors in the area and notes they also have those.  
  
He walks closer to the one at his door and looks at it, his HUD streaming information about it to him. _So this.. Access pad will have a way for me to open this door._ He tentatively reaches a servo up to the pad and taps it. The pad lights up under his digit and his expression lights up in glee in response. He removes his digit and looks at the pad.  
  
No password. Open?  
[Y] / [N]  
  
He taps his digit on the glyph indicating "yes". The door cracks open a bit with a soft clank, but stops there. _Well, it's open I guess_. He stands in front of the cracked door and puts down his box before wiggling his servos into the slit and pushes the sides of the door apart which makes it scoot open further, then picks up the box again and walks into the room.  
  
The first thing he notices is that the air in the room feels a bit stuffier than outside and as he looks around he sees a fair bit of dust everywhere too. _I guess nobot has been here in a while._ He walks further in and looks around, his HUD identifying some new things for him. On the far end of the smallish room there is a couch against the right side wall and a small table in front of it; both of which are facing the left wall with a screen in it. Next to him are some cabinets and counters on his left. There is also a door in the wall between the screen and said counters. He walks to the table in front of the couch and puts his box down, then he goes to the door next to the screen and opens it the same way he opened the door to these quarters. Inside is a berthroom with a berth to the right, a small night stand next to it and a door in the wall to the left which leads to the washing racks. His curiosity piqued, he walks into the washing racks, though he can't see much since it is even darker here than in the rest of the quarters due to the lack of emergency lights.  
  
He walks out of the room again and gives his borrowed quarters another onceover. _I have some cleaning to do._ His HUD pulses again softly and this time he takes notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Try to imagine my relief when I realized I don't have to do all of this by hand in HTML.


	3. Amateurs guide to setting up shop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time Legend:  
> Tick = Second  
> Klik = Minute  
> Joor = Hour  
> Cycle = Day  
> Groon = Week  
> Orn = Month  
> Vorn = Year  
> Deca-vorn = Decade  
> Milli-vorn = Millenia

Returning to the room with supplies for the umpteenth time he struggles to put the items all up on the counter. He is now certain he must be quite short as everything in this place was made for bots with higher stature. Was he always this short? Is he really just short or is this place made for giants? His memory banks draw up blanks and yet there's information everywhere. Some things make sense and yet they do not at the same time. _This is all so confusing._ He frowns slightly in thought. _I don't remember being short, but this feels like my natural height._ He huffs out a vent which makes his systems hiss out air as well, an act similar to stretching ones cables after exercise, but for other things that don't stretch as such.  
  
He walks to the couch to sit on it and allow his frame to settle for a bit as he thinks of his next objective. _I have some supplies now._ He picks up the mysterious unopenable box he left on the small table after first entering this room and scoots back a bit to lean against the back of the couch. _Some neat new things from a cleaning closet that my HUD pointed out after making that list of objectives for me._ His systems let out another hiss, but much softer this time as he fiddles with the box. _Some more things; tools from a hallway with a panel in the wall removed that had a toolbox near it with more tools around it._ He turns the box over in his servos and runs a digit along a very small seam line. _That box was big and heavy with all the tools in it; I had to go back and bring more tools with me by servo._ He places the box in his servos beside him on the couch and slouches his posture whilst sliding down a little. _And I still don't know how to get this box open. Maybe I should get something that would light up things for me so I can see better._ His HUD pulses softly which prompts him to check his list of objectives.  
  
Current Objectives:  
>Find Central Archive or other forms of information regarding this facility  
>Find power room; fix power outage if possible  
-note sub-objective; find portable source of light first if possible  
> ¿Objective Vague? Find way to fix the silence  
> Clean quarters  
  
_Yeah, I should probably clean and set up my quarters up a bit first._ The small mech sits up and uses his servos to push himself forward to hop off the couch. As soon as his pedes land on the floor he's making his way to the cleaning supplies and as the sound of him swiping the various surfaces in his quarters free of dust fills the room he lets his processor wander once more.  
  
Besides the occasional loud and startling sound to pierce the silence, the stillness in this dark place - this facility - is smothering, but there was nothing he could do about that at the moment. It makes him wonder once again about the warning he got about not being alone. He hadn't seen or heard anything out of the ordinary when he went back and forth for supplies earlier. There are lumps, splatters and stretches of that hard substance all over the place though. Earlier when he was inspecting the stuff closer his HUD explained it is a substance that is semiliquid before use and then it hardens to become strong and solid which is really interesting.  
  
Some of the places he visited had stuff strewn about all over the place, a lot of it broken as if the bots who were here left in a hurry. _I wonder where they all went. Actually I wonder why they left in the first place, the hard stuff all over the place is a bit strange, but otherwise this facility is still useable._

...  
  
_Should I be worried?_ He stops his swiping of the berthroom area. _On one end the bots who lived and worked here left in a hurry and put it together with the warning I got.. That might mean I should leave too._ He lets out a vent, which blows up some of the dust in the area. _On the other end.._ He watches the dust swirl in the air in front of his bright optics. _They left a long time ago from the looks of things and I don't even know where the exit is._ He continues swiping. _And so far I've been alone._ A thought that makes him a bit sad.  
  
A series of loud clings and clanks from the main room of his quarters kick his systems into overdrive which results in the back of his helm meeting the underside of the berth with another loud clank. He hisses in surprise as he shakes off the hit to his helm and scrambles out from under the berth. His wide and panicked optics stare at the doorway of the berthroom.  
  
...  
  
Nothing happens.  
  
Slowly and tentatively he rises and begins making his way to the doorway of the berthroom. His thoughts are both in turmoil and in eerie silence, the latter of which mingles with the silence in the air and makes his helm ring. He remembers the warning which has his plating stiff and standing on end. He reaches the doorway and slowly peeks out, optics darting around.  
  
...  
  
Nothing is there.  
  
His plating relaxes a tad as he slowly leans into the room to look around more at anything that could be out of place. He takes a few steps into the room.  
  
Nothing still.  
  
His optic ridges raise in confusion and he frowns a little as he walks further into the room. He steps on something and glances down. Tools were on the floor. He lifts his pede off the items and walks around more, even glancing into the hallway outside his quarters before circling back to where the things were all over the floor. He looks at the counter near the spilled bits and bobs on which a scant few more gadgets sat precariously near the edge and then looks back down to the floor. _They must have fallen because I didn't put them away properly_. His relieved vent prompts his plating to relax with simultaneous muted clinks an pops immediately after which his systems hiss unappreciatively of the stress.  
  
He crouches down to where his spilled things were.  
  
"I'm sorry, I probably should have put you all back to your proper places before, huh?" Which might have been his loneliness talking. _It's weird hearing my own voice.._ He looks up in thought. _For the first time?_  
  
He shakes his helm and begins gathering the fallen items in his servos. _I wonder what the other bots in this place were like. I hope they're okay._ The small mech then brings the tools to the toolbox on the ground next to the exit and gently drops them as he settles on the floor in front of said toolbox.  
  
_Now how.. Where do I put these?_ He examines the box as his HUD lights up and highlights things about the toolbox to him. _Ooooh, it has moving bits?_ His curiosity begins burning as he brings his servos up to fiddle with the side of the box. There's a soft click when his digits find a flat button and the side of the box springs open. His faceplate lights up in delight and he begins running his optics over all the racks and holes meant to hold tools from different sizes to different categories, each with their own designated place. Some spots were empty though which prompts the mech to glance at his pile of loose tools.  
  
The small mech - now practically vibrating with excitement - begins assorting everything to their proper places. By the time these racks are seemingly full he's still left with a few other gadgets and bits. He blinks and scoots over a bit to look at the other side of the box, repeating the process that he had done with the right side of the box which leaves him with one item, bar the ones still on the counter. He looks at the item in slight confusion before his HUD draws a line between it and a latch at the top of the toolbox. His optics brighten and light up in understanding. The mech prods the latch with the digits of his free servo and opens the lid fully. As soon as his optics land on the item holders his HUD lights up borderline aggressively and highlights a few items in his vision, giving it a hovering explanation.  
  
Small Portable Light Source  
(Flashlight)  
(Magnetic lights)  
  
The mech almost drops the item he's holding, first from being startled by his HUD and then from once more surging excitement. He reaches for the biggest light source item before remembering the task at servo. _I will put away the last tools away first._ His HUD dims almost as if in understanding and draws more faint lines between the items left on the counter and the item holders in the box.  
  
The small mech reluctantly retracts his outreached servo whilst swiftly placing the gadget in the other in its place and stands to retrieve the last of the items. Any semblance of order was forgotten as he continues thinking of the new discovery. He rushes for the counter and stands on the tips of his pedes to sweep his servos over it, catching all of the gadgets and bits before hurrying back to the box and settling down haphazardly. The last items found their proper places in record time and before one could even blink the mech was staring intently at the flashlight. _How lucky!_ He beams.  
  
His servos gingerly grab the item and bring it closer as he inspects it in the low lighting. _It won't be dark for much longer._ His digits find a switch and he flicks up it without a second thought.  
  
"Oh!" A cone of light sprouts upwards at the ceiling from where he's holding the flashlight. His optics burn for a tick before swiftly adjusting to the new light level.  
  
He absentmindedly closes his mouth after it fell open slightly in his surprise. _It's so bright!_ He looks at it for a moment before aiming it at various things around him. Most of the quarters is in various shades of dull grey. The toolbox however is a mix of metal greys and a quite dark blue. _What a pretty color.._ His optics are once more drawn to the contents of the box by a soft ping. _Oh right! There's more light stuffs in here._  
  
His servo reaches into a half empty cubbyhole filled with small disks and brings one out. He shines his new light at the disk as his digit finds a tiny button at the side and presses it. He has to pull it further from his faceplate and places down his flashlight as the disk lights up.  
  
As he examines the lit disk he discovers its stuck to his digits, his HUD lighting up to explain that it's magnetized to his servo as a part of its function. Optics widening as an idea crosses his processor he goes to stand up whilst turning off the small device to demagnetize it from his digits. He then walks up to a wall and puts the disk against it with the lighting bit facing him after which he clicks the button again. The device lights up and as he removes his servos it stays on the wall where he put it.  
  
The small mech practically squeals in delight, hopping in place in a celebratory manner. _I have so much light!_ He rushes back to the toolbox for more disks and begins distributing them all over his quarters somewhat evenly.  
  
After his quarters are properly lit he returns to the toolbox to place the rest of the disks back in their cubbyhole, then he turns around to observe his current living space anew. Besides the supplies lying around, his mysterious box and the new lights the place is rather barren still, however the lighting does work to make it more cozy. _Oh well, I guess I'll just have to make the place more my own as I go._ The small mech thinks in delight as he pats his servos together which draws his optics to his own frame.  
  
His servos are suspended in front of him where he stopped mid-gesture, the backs of which are covered in bright green plating. Dropping the pose he brings a single servo closer to examine it, wiggling his blunt-ended digits a little. Each segment of his digit has green plating at the back of it, the palm side of his servo being matte black, digits included. His curious yellow optics move along his servo and eventually reach the rest of his frame. His primary color seems to be a light green with very faint silvery highlights and designs - which you can only see from looking very close - with his underarmor being matte black. _What a strange primary color.. I like it! It's a very... Strong and bright color, if a bit weird._ He finishes his examination of himself with a harrumph of a conclusion.  
  
_Well I may be short, but with such a color I will still surely be noticeable!_ He nods sagely to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always wondered how in the ever living heck some authors do this kind of stuff.
> 
> I still don't have any idea.


	4. Beginners guide to the beginning of utter nonsense

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time Legend:  
> Tick = Second  
> Klik = Minute  
> Joor = Hour  
> Cycle = Day  
> Groon = Week  
> Orn = Month  
> Vorn = Year  
> Deca-vorn = Decade  
> Milli-vorn = Millenia
> 
> Oh also if you're the type to like music with your stories or are just curious there might be some songs I will recommend every now and then and right now it's Caravan Palace - L'envol. I wouldn't say it's for anything in particular, but it does fit with the feels sometimes if you get what I mean.

_You know, I never noticed this before, but the emergency lights in here are a nice purple._ The small mech thinks to himself as he steps out into the hallway from his quarters, clutching his still lit flashlight tightly in one servo. _No, that's not right.._ He stops and stares at one such light fixture, his optic ridges furrowed in thought. _It's more like a pinkish purple._ His HUD pings.  
  
Color designated - Magenta  
  


''Oh, thanks!'' His expression becomes enlightened before it slips into a confused one, ''Hey, Mr HUD?''  
  
No answer.

Not that he'd let that stop him, ''What does HUD mean exactly?''  
  
The acronym HUD stands for Helms-Up Display.

''Oh,'' the small mech continues walking, ''What's an acronym?''  
  
An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase.  
  
''Oh! I get it,'' He pauses for a moment, ''I think.'' He reaches the exit of this hallway and stops walking.  
  
''I say 'oh' a lot, don't I?'' He does not get a reply.  
  
Now at the doorway he looks around, lifting his servo with the lit flashlight and moving it to follow his view. What greets him is a facility in worse condition than the otherwise low lighting would suggest. The debris that litters the place is now much more visible along with damage that suggests there'd been fighting. Of course you can't go without the complementary covering of dust everywhere - including the particles swirling in the air - that indicates whatever happened was a while ago and there hasn't been anyone here since. _I know I repeat myself a lot, but r_ _eally w_ _hat happened here?_

The strange substance littering the facility turns out to be a sort of orange-brown color and is somewhat translucent while the walls and floors have a smidgen of light blue to their otherwise grey complexion, though the floors are a lighter shade. _Well, the walls are a bit prettier here than in the personal quarters._ He moves on from his spot and continues walking along the balcony of this level. _Not that there's anything wrong with the color grey._  
  
The further he walks the more strange things he sees; scratches, grooves, dents and scorch marks just to name a few. He travels a few levels lower and finds one of those strange lumps of the substance halfway on the bottom steps of the stairs he's descending. He stops in his tracks as soon as it becomes clear that there's something _within_ the lump of this matter.   
  
He shines his light directly at the pile, though he still can't see it very clearly so he makes his way a little closer. Something metallic shines back at him, many metallic surfaces in fact and it's because of this he does not notice where he steps until it's too late. The mech takes another step down and steps on something which promptly shifts and slides, making him topple. He launches forward with a yell, servos reaching out to help him balance; and failing. Landing with a loud sound of metal to metal which drowns out the 'oomph' from his vocalizer, he drops his flashlight. The item in question spins and slides a little further from him, coming to a stop with the lit side pointing towards where he landed in a crumpled heap.  
  
The small mech swiftly lifts his helm from where he'd smacked down front first and blinks as he looks around to orient himself, eventually landing his optics on his precious light source. He lets out a relieved vent.  
  
''I'm so glad you didn't break,'' he declares to the inanimate object before rolling to the side.  
  
His processor stalls as he tries to process what he's seeing, his relieved expression dropping faster than he just did moments ago. He'd landed next to the half of the lump that's on the floor, but that's not what he's staring at. He's staring at the faceplate of _something_ and that something is staring right back. As soon as that thought processes he sits up and scoots away from the _thing_ with a yelp.   
  
His servo bumps against something which startles him and makes him glance at it. _It's just my flashlight._ He makes a sound of discomfort at being scared half to offline three times in a row and grabs his precious light source. He aims the light at the faceplate of the thing he saw which is no longer staring right at him. _What_ is _that?_ Although from the looks of things it wasn't really staring straight at him, just wherever its expression's been stuck towards for who knows how long. _  
  
_The small mech gathers his courage and shifts to lean closer to the thing, shining his light to study the form. That something turns out to be an offline cybertronian encased in the hardened translucent substance. The faceplate and frame of the mech are torn to an extent that gives him a monstrous appearance, the mouth of the tilted helm unhinged as his frame is stuck posed in some macabre form of crawling. The servo - _no that's not right_ \- the appendage with loose wires and claws that's closest to him being one of the few things that's not encased in the golden matter and is out in the open air. It's also consequently pierced by a small blade that's been struck down hard enough to embed it in the floor.  
  
...  
  
He's not quite sure what to think of this new discovery. It's not a fun discovery even if he learnt something new about the place he's found himself in; and so he simply continues to stare somberly at it - _no, him_ \- as his spark begins to feel a bit heavy. _I'm sorry, that looks painful._ He scoots closer, shifting to kneel next to the dead mech and with a bit of quite understandable hesitation places a servo on the exposed appendage. Unbeknownst to him, his optics which are focused on his servo, turn to a shade of paler yellow as soon as he makes contact. A cooling and calming sensation washes over him and sweeps away any lingering hesitation, instead replacing it with burning resolve. He looks at the faceplate of the former mech and doesn't flinch when he finds the creature staring back at him, its haunting purple optics having snapped from their earlier position to lock their gazes.

His voice loses a bit of its normal airy and innocent-like positive tone and gains the very faintest undertone as he starts speaking, ''I am sorry for the suffering you've had to endure.'' The appendage under his servo shifts a little and something tells him this creature would have torn him to bits had it not been stuck. His other servo comes to rest as close to the side of the creatures helm as he can manage in a gentle gesture and he leans his upper frame slightly closer whilst continuing, ''Please rest now.''  
  
His forehelm connects with the matter over the creatures forehelm as said creature shifts for a moment longer before going still. The small mechs optic shutters close almost as if of their own volition.  
  
Although he doesn't know it, his frame - or more specifically some of the seams close to his chestplate and the hidden glyphs and designs on his frame - lights up. The facility becomes awash with faint pale blue light that sweeps the premises in misty waves and tendrils that spread from him. A feeling spreads from right under his chestplates and settles in his frame and as it does he feels the creature next to him fade. It's something that he begins feeling more and more, at first close to him and then spreading further as other creatures like this one struggled and then went to rest.  
  
Then it was over. The final one that he could reach finally found peace as he murmured without any real knowledge of doing so.  
  
''Until all are One.''  
  
The light fades much faster then it began and the small mech opens his yellow optics to find the ones of the creature to be dark and truly offline for real this time. He feels change in the air, more than one type in fact. _Just when I thought that things were confusing before now._ A thoughtful frown adorns his faceplate as he leans back and shifts to sit on his aft with his servos supporting him and pedes spread out. His pedes absentmindedly slowly shift side to side while he stares off into the distance. Something in him shifts again without his knowledge. _Primus has some explaining to do._ The disgruntled thought follows the shifting. From the small mechs perspective it all happened so fast, too fast for him to be able to process it at once right now.

He shakes his helm and vents a small sigh before tilting his helm to stare at his trusty flashlight tiredly, ''So what do you think, bud? Should we return to where came from to get some rest too?''  
  
Of course he gets no reply. He does know something that he might sneak a response from though.  
  
His gaze draws back to the creature in front of him, ''Hey Mr HUD do you think I should get some recharge?''  
  
Systems status is suboptimal  
> Signs of strain indicate recharge may be necessary in the near future to return optimal running conditions  
  
An amused expression crosses the small mechs face, ''I'll take that as a yes.''  
  
His helm falls back to bring his tired stare to the ceiling before his gaze is drawn towards the adjacent wall by a figure and his expression becomes tight-lipped. On said wall another one of those creatures was stuck, having been impaled before becoming glued still thanks to the substance. A former femme - now turned into something entirely _wrong_ and different - that's stuck to a wall like some twisted decoration.

 _Is this what the warning meant?_ He remembers the feeling the warning gave him and now it starts making a bit more sense. _Maybe.._ Then he remembers the feeling he got just recently, the one that settled in his frame and apparently still hasn't left. As he thinks of it he feels a trickling feeling at the base of his neckstrut and then a very light prickling sensation at the ends of his pedes and servos. His spark does a flip and begins feeling ever so slightly heavy. A sense of vertigo strikes him which makes him glad he's already sitting down and as it disappears he feels strange, if a tiny bit nauseous. The small mech feels as if he's in his frame, but also further outside of it reaching around. A feeling that confuses him more than any of the other mental inconsistencies he's had so far. _How does this even make sense? It does and it doesn't at the same time and that just adds to the confusion._ He briefly feels the need to grip his helm like he's going insane, but brushes it off soon after.  
  
 _When did my optics go offline?_ He resets his optics and waits for his vision to first return and then stop its light spinning. Just as his vision settles he's already looking at the creatures as the feeling communicates information to him, information he can't make sense of.  
  
Suddenly he feels much more tired than before. He's tired of being confused and scared. He's especially tired of this something else he can't quite place. A light burning feeling surfacing both in his spark and frame brings him out of these thoughts and he lets out a strained hum. He's had enough. His servos begin burning in a non-painful way as he literally begins to mentally pack and shove these strange new things back to where they came from. All the strange combined feelings and things begin to fade, leaving only a soreness and light burning.  
  
Warning, systems status has decreased rapidly  
>Recharge is heavily recommended  
>Refueling is recommended in the near future  
  
He blinks as the warning rushes to the forefront and begins shifting after having read it, ''I'm going, I'm going!''   
  
While he's making an effort to stand up he notices his movements are a little shaky. _I didn't think about refueling either._ A thought that makes him frown as he bends down to pick up his flashlight. _I will fix that as soon as I online, I don't think I can look around for any energon right now._ His HUD pulses softly, but he ignores it in favor of navigating back to his quarters.  
  
He gives the scorch mark that spooked him when he first passed by here a mild glare for having scared him and enters the hallway that leads to his destination. The shaky and weak feeling hasn't left him by the time he enters his quarters. He turns off the flashlight and places it by the toolbox before making his way to the berthroom. Despite feeling weakened he manages to clamber on the berth and moves to the furthest end that's against the wall before collapsing.

A sense of satisfaction fills him at having made it to where he can finally relax and rest up. He stares unseeingly ahead as his frame begins the process of shutting down for recharge. The lull before slipping off is something of a moment that feels really nice. His optics dull and go dark, optic shutters closing while recharge slips him into the unknown.  
  


* * *

  
Some undetermined amount of time later, after recharging and going through flashes of strange information he's standing. Standing where exactly, well that is a good question. He tilts his helm this way and that way as he looks around, his digits clenching and relaxing. He sees nothing, literally. There is nothing anywhere and yet the air - if there even is air here - feels chilled despite not being cold; neither is it the bad kind of chilled. It just feels fresh somehow, mythical even? The small mech tilts his head in confusion as the word 'mythical' flits through his helm. How he knows to place such a word there or how it got into his helm in the first place he does not know. _But that wouldn't be the first time I don't know the details about something.  
  
_ He lets out a vent or at least he thinks he did and turns to start walking the other way. He got a single step in before he had to stop since there's something bright blocking his way. He blinks in both confusion and curiosity, thoughtlessly reaching out a servo and placing it on the faintly sparkling and possibly see-through surface. Turns out there's also mist rising from the thing under his servo as wisps of this smoke-like mist curl over his digits, dissipating shortly before reaching the rest of him. _It's warm.. Or is it cold? Both?_ _Either way it feels very huggable._ He most likely would have hugged it if a deep reverberating chuckle didn't make him jump away and look up, up and even further up at the source of the noise. His processor stalls.  
  
 **Hello, Little One. I see you like my current form.  
  
** The small mech gasps and clutches his helm in disbelief with both servos before blurting out, ''Oh my goodness! You're huuuuuuge!''   
  
A short bout of booming laughter follows his statement. It's not the kind that's laughing _at_ him, more like an endeared and surprised kind of laughter. _And besides, it's not as if I'm wrong. This mech is so huge I could probably comfortably fit in his servo._  
  
''Hey, it's not as if I'm wrong, I'm already short and you're taller than anybot I've ever seen! I'm not even as tall as your whole helm,'' The small mech continues in response.  
  
The giant in question lets another chuckle slip, as seems to be the case in the presence of this one of his children and steps back before speaking up.  
  
 **No, you are correct my child. I am rather tall, aren't I?  
  
** The voice speaks up behind the small mech and he turns around to find the same sparkly and misty figure, only smaller this time; now about the size of a tallish normal mech compared to him so his helm comes up to just about the others hip plates.

''Well not anymore!'' The small mech beams at the still taller Ancient One and scampers closer to him.  
  
The Ancient One kneels to be closer to the Small One's height.  
  
 **Now, where's the rush?  
  
** There's still an amused lilt in the Ancient One's tone.  
  
The small mech comes to a stop, both physically and mentally and ends up staring at the others form that's now more accessible to him. The misty, sparkly very pale blue and somewhat see-through mech appears regal in every way possible. There's white glyphs and intricate engravings everywhere, both on his frame and sometimes flickering in the air around him that can seen out of the corner of one's optics. Coming down from the tall mechs shoulders and over his back is something long, flowy and pliable - cloth, his HUD informs him - that splits into two. His reverie is broken as the Ancient One speaks up.  
  
 **I see you've been utilizing the aid that's been provided to you.  
  
** The small mechs optics lock with the white ones of the Ancient One. He stares confusedly for a moment before it dawns on him, ''Oh, you mean Mr HUD?''  
  
The Ancient One smiles warmly.  
  
 **Indeed. The smart interface and the _Register_.**  
  
The small mechs face adorns a confused expression once more, ''Register?''  
  
The Ancient One raises a servo and taps a single pointer digit on the middle of the Small One's chestplates, over his spark chamber. The area lights up like it did before and the chestplates split and move to reveal an intricate device that's attached to the small mechs spark chamber not too much unlike how a Matrix would rest on a Prime's spark chamber. This is no Matrix, however and neither is the small mech a Prime. Said small mech looks down at his frame in awe and excitement, ''Hey I didn't know I can glow!''  
  
The Ancient One can't seem to stop smiling each time this precious child speaks their processor.  
  
 **The Register is very special, Little One. Take good care of it as it will aid you on your journey.  
  
** ''Sir, yessir!'' A sliver of knowledge sneaks its way into his processor and he preforms the action almost as if it were natural to him. He preforms an action of respect in the way mechs and femmes of old used to when speaking to a superior, a salute of sorts if you will. His chestplates snap closed and lock with a click which lessens the glowing a little. The Ancient One leans back and stands up as the Small One voices a question, ''But what does it do exactly?''  
  
 **You will understand in time, my child. Now come, our time here lessens.  
  
** The voice speaks up just outside of his field of vision and when the small mech turns to look the Ancient One has returned to his former size and is now offering a servo which is a hint the Small One takes as he answers, ''Oh, okay..'' He steps onto the offered servo and sits down, many questions burning in his processor as the giant starts walking in some direction. Somewhere along the line his HUD labeled the entity he's talking with as Primus which was something he didn't consciously think about before. Sure, in his spark he recognized the other as his Creator, but it didn't really click until now.  
  
He looks back up at his Creator, determined to make his processor to work for its energon for once, ''So where are we then? I'm happy to have someone to talk to, but this is not the facility I woke up in.'' Unbeknownst to him, more slivers sneak from the area under his chestplates - from the Register - to settle in his processor.  
  
 **This place is neither here nor there, Little One. It is merely a connection between us as we recharge.  
  
** ''So I get that I'm recharging, I remember going to do that after some confusing things made me tired, but you're Primus.''  
  
 **Indeed I am, my child.**  
  
Is what Primus answers with while turning his helm to gaze at the Little One in his servo. His tone is mildly amused once more as he wants to see where this is going.  
  
''Well, your frame is technically the planet, right? So is Cybertron recharging? How does that even work..'' The small mech trails off.  
  
The small amount of amusement in the Ancient One's tone does not waver, but it does catch a little bit of a sorrowful undertone.  
  
 **What you say is true. Cybertron faces a dark time for the time being.  
  
** ''Oh I see..'' The small mech thinks for a moment, ''But it'll be better soon, right? It can't be dark forever.''  
  
The Ancient One stops walking and looks up to fix his gaze ahead.  
  
 **Never change, Little One.  
  
** The small mechs thoughts of answering came to a halt as his curiosity became piqued by Primus's action, so he follows the other's gaze and what he sees makes him gasp softly. The view that greets him is a flourishing Cybertron from a very long time ago. He looks at the sky, he looks at the ground and he sweeps his gaze over everything in between the two. The sight was beautiful. ''Is this what it was like before the dark times?'' He looks up at his Creator who in turn looks back at him then.  
  
 **A long time ago, yes.  
  
** There was a silent agreement then, to simply enjoy the view. And after a long moment of comfortable silence as the both of them viewed everything that came before horizon while the sun set, the small mech spoke up again, ''Hey, Primus?''  
  
 **Hmm?  
  
** ''Will I see you again?''   
  
**Perhaps, if that is what you wish.**  
  
The small mechs happy smile then could have rivaled that of the setting sun in intensity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize I may suck at writing, that perhaps at times this may be a painful read, - I sure have given myself plenty of headaches trying to figure out how to put things into words - but that's why I'm here.  
> To practice.
> 
> So that I can suck a little less.


	5. Plan of action

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time Legend:  
> Tick = Second  
> Klik = Minute  
> Joor = Hour  
> Cycle = Day  
> Groon = Week  
> Orn = Month  
> Vorn = Year  
> Deca-vorn = Decade  
> Milli-vorn = Millenia

He's having a tough cycle so far, that's for certain. He's also in for many more to come. These kinds of thoughts are circling around in his helm as he lays with his servos and pedes spread out on the floor where he'd fallen off the counter.   
  
_Lets see.._ Things he's learned and done today include, but aren't limited to - 1. waking up from recharge was and is usually going to be a horrible experience because each one will practically be used as a session for crash courses on various topics, 2. some of the things that he couldn't make sense of yestercycle were new senses he'll have to get used to, 3. he found energon in some of the personal quarters he reluctantly broke into with the help of a few tools which is a segway into the fact that he's short and that's a problem only sometimes, including just now. The energon in these specific quarters is in higher quantities than the others he's found so far, however the cubes are stashed on the highest cabinet shelves; que the part where he had to build a makeshift staircase to transport those from up there to down here. Down here onto the floor where he fell because the aches, pains and new senses are providing to be a distraction to his already air-helmed demeanor.  
  
The small mech vents a sigh, which prompts a hiss from the rest of his systems. _At least the helmache has lessened a bit from the horrible pounding I had when I onlined._ He sits up with the support of his servos, the soreness in his frame making him grimace slightly. _Maybe refueling will help to ward off the rest of the aches._ Standing up with the help of the adjacent counter he rests his optics on one of the cubes nearest to him. He'd found a scant few other cube stashes and already took the goods to his own quarters where he had given them a home on some _lower shelves_ under the countertops. His servos grip onto a cube which he lifts into his lap after settling down on one of the boxes that make up the lowest step of his makeshift staircase. His HUD lights up and informs him about a few tidbits regarding the properties of energon and the cube's makeup, information that settles in his processor along many other small packets he's received.

He opens the lid of the cube and stares at the glowing fuel. _This is one problem solved for now, I have to make a proper list of things I have to get done from now on so that I can have a plan._ He thinks as he carefully sips from the container. _Ok, what are things that need resolving? Umm, the lights most definitely so that I can see better. Then I have to find more fuel and a way out of here._ He lifts his optics from where he's been staring at his swinging pedes to look at the rest of these quarters. _And maybe find answers_ _meanwhile._ His optics sweep the room he's in. It's obvious that these quarters are lived in or were before this whole place became abandoned. The walls were even repainted at some point to a soft light brown and that's not to mention the other things his previously empty quarters lack that further decorate the room. The shelf at the back wall for example, which has interesting things on it. He tilts his helm and places the almost empty cube aside as his curiosity gets the better of him.  
  
The small mech grabs a wall light that he'd magnetized to the counter prior to building his staircase and makes his way over to where the shelf is. He makes it half way across the room before he realizes the shelf is too high for him to see the items on it properly. He stops walking, his optic shutters dropping half way as his expression drops into a miffed one. _I'm so going to magnetize a stepping stool to my backstrut._

He turns around and fetches the box he sat on earlier to plop it down in front of the shelf. After stepping on the box he lifts the servo holding the wall light and stares at the item for a moment before shrugging and magnetizing it to his chassis. _Not exactly what it's meant for, but works out for me!_ His expression lifts when his optics land on the items sitting innocently on the shelf that happened to mock him by existing so high up on the wall, his HUD already at work informing him about things that are new to him.

* * *

Walking out of the quarters with his servos full of datapads he checks his to-do list that his HUD no doubt has updated.  
  
Current Objectives:  
>Find Central Archive or other forms of information regarding this facility  
\- note some yet unknown datapads were found  
>Find power room; fix power outage if possible  
\- note make sure the lighting functions  
>Find exit(s) of this facility  
>Find more fuel to prevent exhausting current reserves  
\- note finish transporting found stockpiles  
> ¿Objective Vague? Find way to fix the silence  
  
The small mech vents a soft sigh. _So much to do._ Walking into his quarters he places the stack of datapads on the small table in front of the couch before stretching. _Better than having nothing to do though._ His optics land on his box that sits on the couch right where he'd left it.   
  
He drops his stretching pose, ''Hey Mr HUD, please add finding a way to open this box to the list.'' His response is a ping that indicates the smart interface had done just that. He draws his gaze away from the box in question to walk over to the toolbox instead. _Time to work my processor for what it's worth._ He sits down in front of the toolbox. _Alright, I need a way to carry items without filling my servos with them and because this toolbox is too heavy and big for myself to casually carry I will have to improvise._ He does not notice a soft ping that follows his thought. He opens the top lid of the box where the fanciest gadgets are housed, among which are the magnetic wall lights. Although he half meant magnetizing a stool to his backstrut as a joke it did give him an idea as to how he could increase his carrying capacity. His HUD pinging more aggressively than normal brings him out of his processing.   
  
Note host frame has subspace pockets installed to store items below a specific size limit. Subspace pockets are as follows  
  
A blueprint of his frame pops up in his vision with lines drawn detailing to points where the pockets are, followed by a slow stream of information on subspace technology and biology. His optics widen as he mouths a silent 'oh'. His curiosity and excitement surge, so he hurriedly makes a grab for one of the wall lights from the box. He looks down at his own frame, his HUD highlighting where the pockets are in his view. Lifting a servo he pokes the area in his side with his digits. A pinch somewhere in his processor draws his attention to some new code, to which he automatically tugs on the command for what he thinks is the pocket he'd been poking at.   
  
The plating under his digits shifts and slides out of the way, revealing an opening. The small mech stares at the dark cavity for a moment, a bit dumbfounded. He blinks before glancing at the disk in his hand. With the slightest bit of hesitation he pushes the disk in the opening and lets go of it. Removing his servo from his view to see the pocket reveals the item to be gone.  
  
Compiling folder - Subspace inventory  
  
A file appears in his archives before sliding into the slot created for it. He opens the folder.  
  
Subspace inventory :  
>Wall light (1)  
  
''Huh..'' Is first reaction to the whole ordeal. He selects the wall light in the inventory folder and reaches into the pocket. Pulling out his servo reveals the same disk between his digits. His following reaction to this ordeal nearly makes him drop the light as his frame language becomes erratic in his excitement, ''Aw mech, this is great!'' His ecstatic statement and mood would have been heard and felt by the residents of this facility, had there been anything online in the near vicinity.  
  
 _Now I have a way to carry things with me._ He pauses for a moment. _Well, as long as they fit through the openings, which means my original idea is still useable. Besides, this way both of my servos will be free for whatever I might need them for._ He looks at the magnetic wall light in his hand before his gaze is drawn to the toolbox and the area around it. _Hmm, the floor might not be the best place for this._ He places the light in his servo among the rest and stands before grabbing the sides of the toolbox.   
  
What follows is several ticks of him pulling the heavy box to the small table in front of the couch. _Of course it's heavier now with all of the tools in it._ He reaches the table and picks up the stack of datapads to put them against the wall on the floor next to the couch. With the table free of anything that might get in the way he sits down in front of it and reaches into the toolbox for a few wall lights. _Lets see if I'm any good at tinkering what I have in processor into reality._  
  


* * *

  
A few joors later the small mech could be found exploring some more of the facility, his favorite and only flashlight magnetized to the top of his helm so that he can have a cone of bright light illuminate whatever he turns his helm towards. He had to butcher a few wall lights for their parts, but he managed to make what he wanted with the knowledge and help he'd been provided. Of course he could have just done nothing and magnetized a bunch of wall lights to himself, but those aren't meant for brightening things over larger distances, not to mention they aren't nearly as bright. Besides, practicing like this helps to ingrain the information more firmly into his processor so that in the future he can work better and faster. _And it's more fun this way._  
  
Nonetheless, such success - no matter how small - has him in a lighter mood. Well, that is as long as he doesn't pay attention to the empty husks of mangled frames, loose pieces and spilled energon everywhere, though the latter of which is at least somewhat hidden by the layer of dust. The moment he turns his attention towards them he starts feeling the very same trickling at the base of his neckstrut and the sensors on his helm and audials unfold which feeds him information that he still struggles to process. Add this to the constant trickling of knowledge already travelling to and fro and you have an incomprehensible mess that even his HUD currently struggles to organize in a way that he can at least start to understand.

 _Well, slow progress is still progress I guess._ The small mech pulls his attention away from his HUD to his surroundings. So far he's managed to map out a decent chunk of the known areas, though as he stands on the bottom floor with his sensors unfolded he gets a feeling that it may not be the bottom at all. He makes his way to the level above the 'bottom' and walks up to what his HUD has marked as the elevator. The doors are shut tight so he makes his way to the access pad which is displaying a 'locked' symbol. Something that he saw on the access pads to the few quarters he had to force his way into while searching for energon. However, the doors to the elevator shaft are much bigger and therefor heavier so he might struggle a bit more with opening this one.  
  
He pulls out a gadget from his subspace that resembles a remote with two prongs at the top. Turning the device on makes the prongs rise on a small extending antenna to which he fidgets with the settings a bit. When he's satisfied with the device he reaches up and taps the prongs against the pad which creates a small spark and makes the screen minimize the 'locked' symbol to communicate a message.  
  
/Emergency lockdown in effect, maintenance bypass denied\  
  
The small mech pouts a bit at the message, his hopes of having an easy way to open this door now dashed. He props the elbow of his free servo up on the foreservo of the other to tap his digits against his chin guard in thought. If the doors were smaller like the ones of the personal quarters he could force them open. _I guess I could still try, no harm in that, right?_ He squints a bit and scrutinizes the door top to bottom, left to right. Doubt fills his processor as he considers his ability to open the door with force alone, only to be replaced by stubborn determination. _I won't be intimidated by your size, door._ He steps back from the door and stretches his cables a bit before taking that energy out on the door on any way he can think of. Prying, pulling, pushing - you name it, he's tried it. The situation ended predictably with him sitting on the floor, his backplates against the door.

He huffs out a vent - to which his vents respond with a hiss from the physical exertion - and crosses his servos over his chestplate. _So the panel said something about an emergency lockdown which means that this would probably also be a problem with most other things I might try to access or do here._ He bonks the back of his helm against the door to look up in thought. _So how would I go about lifting the lockdown here.._ A question that was answered by a ping from his ever reliable HUD.  
  
Emergency lockdowns to be lifted either locally or system-wide generally have to be accessed from a console connected to the systems.  
  
The small mech perks up at that, ''Do you know where I could find a console like that?'' There is a pause before he gets a ping with a low warning buzz attached to it.  
  
Results positive. High probability past marked danger zone.  
  
An image of the darkened hallway pops up in his vision and the small mech furrows his browplates at it, ''Do you think I should go there now?''  
  
No reply.  
  
The small mech hums in thought. Unbeknownst to him, the lack of an answer is because the smart interface is not smart enough to be an AI which can hold a conversation, but that also means the program is more compact, therefor taking up less space on his drives and reserving less space for processing power. _I guess I can't let Mr HUD make all my decisions for me, I wouldn't be independently functional if I did._

He focuses back on his surroundings to notice the light from his flashlight was dimmer than he remembered. He confusedly stares at the cone of light for a moment before it clicks, ''Oh no, are you offlining!?'' He's panic makes his motions to take the item off his helm a bit erratic. The small mech looks at the modified item in his servos, turning it over to see a small flashing red light.  
  
The small light turns out to be a symbol of some sort, which his HUD promptly translated to him as 'low battery'. The knowledge eases his panicking a little, ''Ah, do you need to refuel?''  
  
Even if the object was capable of answering he wasn't waiting for it as he's already standing up to make his way back to his quarters where he can hopefully fix this problem and then go back to fixing the rest of the problems in his list. He's back through the doors to his home in record time, his worry having made him pick up the pace. The toolbox is just where he'd left it at his workspace and as he settles down behind the table once more he begins working on the task at hand. Namely, with the help of his HUD he turns over the flashlight and pops open the port for the power cell before picking the empty cell out and placing it on the table. He then looks over to the toolbox. Next to the flashlight's designated spot there is a slot for the backup power cell for situations just like this one.   
  
At the sight of the fully charged backup cell all the leftover tension in his frame drops. Reaching over to pick up the cell he begins connecting the dots in his processor. _Right, so this is the backup power cell which means I have to find a way to recharge these for when this one runs out._ He puts it in the flashlight and reattaches the cover before turning the item over and flicking the switch. A bright cone of light shoots out against the wall in front of him to which he vents a relieved sigh. _Problem solved for now._

Turning the light off he stands up. _I will have to be_ _more.._ He thinks for a moment to find the right word, _Conservative until I find a way to recharge the cells._ Nevertheless he magnetizes the light back to its spot on his helm. _Now on to the next part which would be lifting the emergency lockdown._ He leaves his quarters once more and walks down the hallway, passing by the doors he'd forced open.

A glint of a blue glow from the corner of his optic draws his attention to the energon on the floor of one of the quarters he still has to transport to his storage. He stops in his tracks and turns his helm to stare at the glow. The longer he stares the brighter the light gets, accompanied by a buzzing in his helm. It got to the point where the glow felt uncomfortable to his optics and because he for some reason was unable to look away he closed his optic shutters instead to block it out. Then why did his optics still sting? He frowns.  
  
The stinging begins to spread in the form of a cool burning from his optics to his processor. The sensation envelops his helm while he struggles to stay on his pedes as a light sensation of vertigo sweeps over his chassis, his sensors unfolding to help his systems right his sense of balance. His stumbling leaves him with the palm of a servo against the wall to help ground him.  
  
When he opens his brightened optics he starts seeing blueprints and rows of glyphs appearing and disappearing in his vision faster than he can make sense of, though his HUD seems to be managing just fine, catching all of the data packets and organizing them into his processor. His vents are working overtime to cool his frame, making him sigh as he waits for this episode to pass. He closes his optics again and leans his forehelm against the cool wall next to his servo, the feeling helping to soothe his frayed neural net. _I know this is to help, but the experience doesn't get any easier.  
_

When the streaming slows, eventually coming to a stop, he's left with a dull helmache and a fading feeling near his spark. The small mech lets out a strained hum, absentmindedly bonking his helm against the wall, an action which turns out to be something he regrets doing immediately after as it jars his sensitive helm and sensors. He grimaces and steps away from the wall to rub his helm, his expression melting into a disgruntled one. 

His HUD, having finished organizing the incoming data, draws his attention to a short message above a loading bar.  
  
Data transfer complete. Files stored and integrated safely. Please stand by for a short systems reboot.

The small mech reads the message before doing a doubletake, ''Wait, wh-''  
  
He doesn't get to finish his sentence as the bar reaches full and his systems shut down for the quick reboot. His optics offline, the sensors folding to protect the delicate equipment and his chassis goes limp, falling like a puppet with its strings cut. He's still conscious - if a bit dazed - during this, however his links to both the outside world and his own systems are momentarily cut before returning one by one. The process is as unpleasant as it sounds.  
  
As soon as his motor controls along with tactile sensors come online his frame jerks due to the small mech being startled by his sudden change of sensory data. From his point of view, one moment he was standing, the next he's blind, deaf, mute and then suddenly _crumpled on the floor._ He raises his helm just as his optics come online, followed by his auditory sensors and vocalizer which emits a brief static hiss, followed by a hiss from the rest of his frame. By the time he's reoriented himself the last of his systems are up and running, including his sensors which immediately unfold. The additional environmental data and strange senses making the small mech groan from all the things he's had to put up with just now. A message startles him out of his discomfort.

Reboot successful, returning to normal functions.  
  
Forcing his sensors to fold he sits up and tiredly runs a servo over his faceplate, ''Mr HUD, _please_ don't do that.'' Although it might have been necessary all things considered, he doubted the smart interface would randomly start rebooting him when he's in the middle of something, _would it?_ ''Was that really necessary?'' He decides to ask.  
  
System reboot was done to prevent complications arising from rapid changes and data transfers occurring within host frame.

''Well, could you at least ask next time? Maybe I'm doing something dangerous at the time and can't stop right then,'' Is his exasperated answer to the program. There is a short pause during which his HUD didn't dim so he assumes the program is thinking. Turns out he was correct.

Request has been processed and accepted. Adding additional instructions to directive.

The small mech vents deeply for a moment before all of his systems quiet down, a feeling he welcomes by relaxing to lay limply on the floor. _Ok, I have some new data packets which I am assuming are pretty important right now._ His current situation suddenly gives him a feeling of déjà vu and he knows exactly why. _I'll be best friends with the floor in no time with how often we meet._ A silly thought that sends a small sad pang through his spark. _Hopefully I can make some real friends some cycle._ Such thoughts circle his helm for the next few kliks as he takes his moment of rest.

The negative feelings don't reign for long though, because as soon as the mech realizes he's even having them he sits up sharply, packs them up and banishes them to somewhere else that isn't anywhere near here. ''Alright, that's it! Enough moping,'' He mutters the last part as he stands up before stretching quickly and making sure his favorite flashlight is intact and present on his helm. 

With that out of the way he turns to walk into the quarters with the energon that started this most recent mess. Determination brims in his chassis as his optics become a paler shade of yellow. _I have things do do._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made it.. And by the time I did I already forgot every single idea I may have had for these end notes. _Sigh..._


	6. Venturing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time Legend:  
> Tick = Second  
> Klik = Minute  
> Joor = Hour  
> Cycle = Day  
> Groon = Week  
> Orn = Month  
> Vorn = Year  
> Deca-vorn = Decade  
> Milli-vorn = Millenia
> 
> Have this horribly long chapter, consume it with your eyeballs only if you dare.

Within a few cycles time - or what he thinks were about a few cycles time considering his chronometer isn't functional - he'd gone around the explored parts of the facility and scavenged parts from broken or otherwise useless equipment to build some things he'd be needing. He started with something simple since he couldn't otherwise find one - a foldable and magnetizable stepping stool of course. All the while he silently thanked whomever it was that left the toolbox in the hallway he'd found it in because without it he didn't doubt these tasks would be much harder, even with the knowhow constantly being crammed into his helm.

Then he also had to make some smaller containers for energon so that he could carry some in his subspace for emergencies. The leftover energon from that would go into the next and hardest to make item so far. An energon converter. In fact he's _still_ working on it, but that's _mostly_ because he's missing some things so he spent extra time on trying to work around that. Also maybe _a little bit_ because he may not be as competent as he first thought, but that's besides the point. What he needs most, and can't work around, is some compounds that would come to make up the part of the converter that would absorb the energon for the conversion process. It's now clear to him that he might have to venture outside of his little safe area to find the last pieces he needs to build the converter. 

That would be why he's now standing at the beginning of the dark hallway where the 'no passage' marking once was, now replaced by a 'caution' one. He'd come here earlier to pick apart the console in the destroyed room and while he did get some useful salvage from that, none of it was what he needed for the converter. His expression is tight-lipped as he stares at the marking and the darkness beyond. By going through here he could also possibly lift the emergency lockdown, but he wouldn't be warned to be cautious - on multiple occasions none the less - for nothing, _right_?

''Right!'' He shakes his helm to ward off any apprehension and puffs out his plating in a gesture to look bigger and in this case therefor also braver. He takes a step, then a second and third until he's right in front the sign floating in his vision. The little mech pauses only for a moment before turning on the flashlight and making sure it's secure on his helm. Turning his gaze to stare ahead he steps through the sign and into the darkness that's now pierced by the bright cone of light. 

The hallway thus far from what he can see is normal. There's no excess of spilled energon and mangled offline frames like he's seen in some other areas. There's barely anything except for a few scuff marks and a door ahead that cuts off his route. Walking closer he can see that the door has been damaged and is ever so slightly split open. There are scorch marks where the split is and small dents that bulge inwards which only add to the battered appearance. His optics are then drawn to a device that's been placed over the crack between the two halves of the door, connecting them together and helping to prevent them from being pulled apart from the other side no doubt.

 _This door was keeping something out_ _._ The small mech might have an idea as to what that _something_ may be and suddenly he feels a bit defenseless. Anxiously flexing his digits, he vents a sigh. This task is not something he will nor can bail out on. With that in mind the reaches behind him and demagnetizes the makeshift stepping stool from his backplates before unfolding it and placing it in front of the door.   
  
Removing the device from the door turned out to be simpler than he thought. It's simply a mechanically deactivated one, no passwords or other security measures. A bit strange, but as the device detaches and falls to the floor with a clank that makes him flinch, he's simply glad that he can now progress onwards. He steps down and folds the stool to replace it onto his backplates before wedging his digits between the two split sides of the door and pulling.

For the next few kliks the sounds of him struggling to pull open the door fill the facility. Not only is this door a bit bigger than the doors to the quarters and other rooms, but it's also damaged which creates friction when moved. However it is still smaller and thinner than the elevator door which means that with enough effort he will manage, as evidenced by the small crack becoming larger the more he pushes. The shrill squeaking and grinding of metal to metal each time the door shifts open a bit further pierces his audials and by the time it's open enough for him to squeeze through the sudden relapse into silence is like a slap in the faceplate.

He stops in his efforts and takes a small moment of pause to lean against the door. He focuses on the sounds of his frame cycling air to help mitigate the choking feeling in the air, although somewhere within he feels the choking effect is from more than just the silence returning. He doesn't notice his sensors snapping open as he's busy gathering the courage to peer through the split door.

The little mech takes a deep vent, straightens his posture and steels his expression into that of a mech on an important mission. _It's going to probably be ugly, but it has to be done._ With that thought in mind he steps through the opening and into the other hallway and as soon as his pedes cross the threshold he steps on something that immediately sends a shiver up his backstrut. Closing his optics momentarily as his expression and frame tense up he shimmies to the side with his backplates against the door until he's on clear floor. When he reopens his optics his gaze is immediately drawn by a heap of metal in the corner of his vision.

Somewhere in him he knew he should not have looked, but at the same time another part deep within him grimly reminds him that these sorts of sights may be common from now on and that he will have to get used to it. What he sees is an exposed chassis that has been blasted and torn to shreds with splatters of some dried purple liquid - dark energon his HUD informs him - everywhere. Including on the undersides of his pedes now, to which he lifts his pede to check with a mental ' _yuck_ '. Considering the evidence he's seen so far this heap of metal must have been one of those creatures and it tried to pry open the door before it was closed the way it was. Then it got blasted and probably trampled by more of its kind.

Prying his own gaze away from this grisly sight he looks further down the hallway where another offline and helmless chassis with a singular huge hole through its chest area is laying right next to the wall. Venting another sigh he relaxes his frame as much as he's able and starts making his way down this hallway whilst avoiding stepping the remains of the helm from the first creature. His optics follow the second one until he passes it by, leaving the gruesome twosome there until he eventually has to pass by the both of them on his way back again. _Maybe I should try moving them later since I might be going through here a lot from now on._

When he reaches the end of this hallway he discovers that it opens up to another big cylindrical area not too much unlike the first one. Walking up to the railing and leaning on the tips of his pedes to help him see over it reveals the only differences. Said differences are that this area is much more wrecked, leaving it even less lit and that the length of it goes less further up and much, much further down. Like really far down to the point that the light from his flashlight isn't strong enough to reach the bottom.

He stares into the seemingly bottomless darkness, sensors unwittingly fully unfolded and aimed at it. Then it hits him along with the trickling feeling at the base of his neckstrut. Well, something hits him and that something is like a feeling or knowing of some sort, provided to him by the sensors and developing new senses. It's a mixture of foggy feelings and knowing actually, something that the small mech struggles to make out, not to mention separate from each other. Poking at one end of this 'ball' gives him a deep feeling of _wrong,_ whilst poking at another side gives him a very light buzzing feeling and the knowing that something or multiples of that something are semi-actively staring back, though not quite exactly _at_ him. If this is not confusing enough, then if he pokes at a seemingly completely different side he suddenly senses - _smells,_ something corrects him - things in the air in a completely different way.

Coming out of this daze from the sensory sensations, he realizes that the light buzzing is because his two sets of sensors are ever so slightly vibrating. He blinks and looks up as if he could see the pair on top of his helm. When he realizes he can't he pouts a little before turning his focus to reexamining his surroundings. Now while all this has him incredibly curious and to an extent delighted because he's experiencing new things - especially without bad or painful side effects - he's still mostly just incredibly confused. _I guess I'll just have to get used to it.. Or maybe I can ask Primus when I see him again._ He lets out a quiet hum as he thinks. _Didn't it say somewhere that I'd be getting some sort of lessons?_

Suddenly the buzzing picks up a notch and because it feels like the reason is emitting from the pit of darkness that's exactly where he turns his attention to. He pokes through his mess of senses again and this time they have a bit more of a warning to them, the type that has his plating stand on end a little. The knowing of being not so directly watched that he had earlier has now shifted focus as if whatever is on the other end is also starting to pay more attention.

After having made some sense of this last bit he feels a surge of pressure near his spark before it becomes almost painfully suppressed and fades, leaving behind a small hollow ache. All that has him hissing lowly and stumbling back from the railing with one servo flying up rub the area over his spark while the other comes rub at the back of his neckstrut. He doesn't even get to ponder on that for long before other intermingling feelings arise and coax him to slowly step further from the edge. He obediently shies away, some unknown instinct telling him that it'd be a good idea to listen.

Then there's a ping on his HUD brings his attention to his updated to-do list. Suddenly he remembers exactly where he is and that he's been distracted again to which he blinks and shakes his helm lightly, the sensors cutting their buzzing to a minimum. Letting out a brief 'hmph' he glances around for something to mark his hallway home before he sets out to explore the area . _And to do that as quietly as I can manage from now on._ Which now that he thinks about it, he might be _slightly_ doomed.

Some kliks of clumsiness later finds him a few floors down and in front of a console that he hopes is what he'd been looking for. The clumsy part came in when he had to climb down a collapsed area where the floor had caved in to the one below like a ramp and later when he had to dodge limbs and other various bits and pieces of chassis that were in between him and said console when he first found it.

And now as he stands in front of this console, like with practically anything else it'd normally be too high for him to use, at least comfortably that is. So he gets to again mentally pat himself on the backplates for making a remedy to that. He takes the item from said backplates and places the stool in front of the console, his expression contorting into that of intense intrigue which mirrors the burning curiosity in his spark. From his new vantagepoint he can properly reach the keyboard and access the mainframe. Hopefully that is. _Ok, umm._ Needless to say there are a lot of buttons. His servos hover over them unsurely, expression changing to mirror that.  
  
''Mr HUD?'' He whispers because he's self conscious about speaking out loud in this place. The smart interface responds regardless of that, translating each of the keys for him before explaining the functions of the ones that aren't used to type glyphs. The little mechs expression lights up immediately again as he absorbs the information and instructions. _It's kind of l_ _ike a puzzle, but useful for more than just being fun!_

His thoughts screech to a halt. _Puzzle?_ He pauses as images - or more accurately memories - of puzzles meant to entertain or train problem solving flit through his helm along with his own memory of finding one among many other items of interest on that provokingly high shelf recently. _Oh right, didn't think of that earlier._ Then the small mech realizes he went off on a tangent again and proceeds ward off these distracting thoughts with another shake of his helm. _Back on topic._ A thought that makes him wonder if smart interfaces have a concept of patience for air-helms like himself as the program in question had apparently paused the stream of instructions when he stopped paying attention.

''Sorry Mr HUD, please continue,'' he whispers to the program a bit sheepishly before zeroing his focus in on the buttons again.

The data stream continues and completes shortly thereafter, leaving the small mech to take action himself. He lightly places his now less unsure servos on the keyboard to let the computer know it's being accessed. The screen and keyboard dimly light up in shades of red as the computer wakes up from power saving mode, revealing a constantly flashing warning message which his HUD proceeds to translate for him.

\- Warning! -  
[Emergency lockdown has been engaged. All personnel are to evacuate immediately.

He reads the message and then lifts his servos to glance at the keyboard in both slight apprehension and excitement and fails to notice a small shift near his spark thereafter. He finds and presses the action key to dismiss the automatic message. The computer changes to home screen and now waits for input. The small mech vents gently, pressing the query key to bring up a communications and searches tab and then tentatively begins to type in a message.

?Lockdown

The computer responds to his question.

[Emergency lockdown has been engaged in priority: High. For more information or to lift the lockdown sign in as personnel with clearance level or above: High.

After reading the message he lets out a curious hum. ''Okay. So, any ideas on how to get past that?'' He forgot all about whispering at this point, his focus is on his goal. The smart interface starts streaming commands to his HUD that he can use to further communicate with the computer and so he types in the next one before resting his servos on the keyboard.  
  
?Bypass

[Bypass requested. Scanning database...  
 ~~Bypass viable, facility has seen no activit~~ ~~y~~ ~~since~~ -  
Bypass has been denied.  
Database holds evidence of a Directive over priority level: High. Directive entered by clearance level: ~~Superior~~ >Supreme. Directive - Lockdown takes precedence.  
Clearance level required to override: Supreme or above.  


''Aw, mech. This is so unfair,'' The little mech grumbles under his breath, ''How many of these levels even are there..'' A somewhat rhetorical question that he fails to realize he didn't actually type in a command for.

[Clearance levels are as listed, from lowest to highest:  
Low  
Moderate  
High  
Superior  
Supreme  
Prime

His expression lights up, ''Oh, thanks?'' Tilting his helm and raising one servo to tap a digit against his chin guard in thought he asks the next immediate question, ''So would a.. Guest have no clearance?''

[Guests at this facility have a granted passive clearance level of: Low.

''So I'm guessing low does not do much,'' He furrows his optic ridges, ''Then is moderate for personnel?''

[Guests at this facility may be granted clearance level of: Moderate. Clearance level Moderate has to be granted by clearance level or above of: High.

''So it's like giving permission to enter your quarters or something?'' He drops the servo down onto the keyboard to lean forward on both, ''Can you tell me more about these clearance levels?''

[Short summary of the clearance system-  
Clearance levels Low and Moderate are reserved for guests at this facility. Clearance levels High and Superior are reserved for personnel. Clearance levels Supreme are reserved for overseers or proxies of clearance level Prime. Clearance level Prime is reserved for Primes and holds the highest level of authority, however it is limited to requisite purposes.

''Aaah, okay I think I get it,'' He leans back ever so slightly, ''How do you check clearance level?'' _I'm technically like a guest so I probably have low clearance, but best to check if I can._

[Clearance is signature ID based. This facility holds scanners at significant access points that passively scan for ID to give passage to those that request it and have the required clearance. First connection must be confirmed and archived through cable connection for that system to register ID. Those who are unregistered will passively be counted as guests with clearance level of: Low.

''Oh, well that just means low is really low security then, if anyone can have it.'' He doesn't get to ask any follow up questions as another window pops up on the screen.

[Would you like to register your ID?  
[Y] / [N]  


He hums in thought and taps the affirmative key which prompts the window to change into an ID registry one, after which he hears the faintest sound, kind of like a click. He turns his helm down towards where he thinks was the source of the sound. Then he leans back to examine the front of the console. Near the edge in the middle, next to the portable drive port there is a much smaller circular port which is what he assumes made the sound. ''So that is the port for the cable connection I think,'' He lifts one servo to rub the back of his neckstrut as he feels a slight trickle. ''Do I even have the cable to make the connection?'' His ever accommodating HUD lights up and writes a message whilst highlighting the foreservo of the servo he'd lifted just then.

Note host frame has connective equipment installed. Cable in question located in right foreservo.

He reads the message as he brings his servo down to examine the highlighted area. There's a pinch in his processor that directs his attention to transformative sequences and commands to which he tugs on the one for the highlighted area. The plating shifts and slides, revealing a small panel. He grabs the newly highlighted plug and pulls, extending the cable and then he turns his attention back to the console. 

Somewhere in him is this strong youngling-like excitement and giddiness at all these new things, knowledge, information and all this progress and, well practically _everything_. Well, that's how it feels for him at least and so he plugs the cable into the port at the console before placing both servos back on the keyboard and turning his attention to the screen. The computer opens up a small loading bar as he begins to feel this almost light itching in his processor. When the bar completes the computer starts typing and filling the new window with information. 

[Creating facility ID...  
Designation:  
Occupation: Guest  
Frame print rendering...  
Recording signature...  
  
As the little mech reads the IDR window's contents he has an epiphany of such magnitude he forgets the definition of quiet by gasping loudly and yelling, ''I don't have a designation!'' His tone of voice is as incredulous as he is horrified by this discovery. ''How did I not realize this earlier..'' He hunches over slightly and grabs the sides of his helm with both servos, ''What would all my future friends call me by if I don't have a designation?''  


Slamming his servos onto the keyboard a little too hard in his frenzy, jostling the cable he makes his final statement on the matter with a grave lilt to his tone, ''That will have to change.'' Then, almost as soon as it started, the whole debacle is over and his attention is drawn to the computer screen by a notice.  
  
[ID creation complete.

He calms down, rubbing the back of his neckstrut absently as the trickling feeling increases and asks in a normal tone and volume, ''So my clearance level is low?''

[User has clearance level of: Low

Although the answer doesn't surprise him he does pout a little because this means he's practically back to square one. He leans forward to place his elbows to the keyboard to prop up his helm on his servos, ''Aw mech, how do I lift the lockdown then. It's not like there's anyone around for me to ask.'' He tilts his helm to the side a little, ''There hasn't been a single spark here in a long time I think and.. Probably won't be any more for a while either...'' He dejectedly mutters the last part in his rambling. He wasn't really expecting a response so when he got one he was a bit surprised.

[Bypass requested. Scanning database...  
Bypass has been denied.

The surprise wore off right after he read the message and was replaced by his previous mood, ''Yeah.. None of us will be having any company, both because we're in lockdown and because they probably shouldn't be here anyways since they left for a reason.'' His response is silence that's only broken by the continual faint humming of the console. He closes his optic shutters, ''Would you like friends? You probably had many when they were all still here.'' If an operating system could have could have friends that is, but that might just be the loneliness talking again, ''Doesn't it get lonely here when everything's all so empty?'' Besides an occasional creature or monster that is. ''Well, we can be lonely together I guess,'' He opens one optic to watch the screen lazily, ''Does that sort of make us friends?'' Although he's speaking to a machine he does feel a little better after saying that. He opens his other optic and blinks, ''You won't lift the lockdown because 'friend' is not a high authority clearance level, will you?''

[Bypass requested. Scanning database...  
Bypass has been denied.  


He vents a sigh as he lets his thoughts wander. He has no way out. Not only because he hasn't looked for an exit yet, but also because it's all probably shut tight. Can he leave at all? He probably shouldn't open any exits considering the reason this place is practically quarantined in the first place. So what _can_ he do? Can he do anything at all, can he help at all? _I want to._ _I'd like to help._ He'd already done s _omething_ on his first cycle here. He can't quite grasp the concept fully, but he helped. There's a shift near his spark as cool-warm feeling floods his systems and his chassis lights up faintly. Not that he's paying that any attention, he's staring into space when his yellow optics turn into a paler shade.He feels a bit more at peace at that moment, if still a bit sad. His expression is relaxed, if a bit tired. He feels connections of many kinds, some of which he can grasp better than others.

_**The influence of the Dark One runs deep here.** _

It's not really his function, but he might have the capability to do _something_ about everything while preforming it. Well, perhaps not about everything, but he'd give it _his_ everything. He's not all that strong, but he does have knowledge as a resource and strength in of its self. He may be small, but he'll do his best to step up. And hey, maybe his personality will help with making up for all that.

He chuckles.

 _M_ _aybe._ He's an air-helm through and through, no helping that.

Help.

But there's helping others. Although he has yet to see any others he can start by learning more about this festering problem down here. However he can't do that without a cooperating computer system. His optics swiftly shift to focus on the screen of the computer, ''Hey, I really need your help.''

[Bypass requested. Scanning database...  
Bypass has been denied.

''I already know why there's a lockdown.. More or less,'' He smiles, ''I won't open the doors to the outside, at least not yet. I promise.'' His HUD lights up, glyphs running across his vision and then a command appears in the C&S window.

!UpdateID

The small mech blinks and furrows his optic ridges.

[Updating user ID...  
Designation:  
Occupation...  
 ~~Occupation...~~  
Oc **ccupaaaaaaa-  
** Occupation: Friend  


[ID update complete.

He shoots up from his relaxed pose like a rocket, ''So we're friends!?'' He bounces on the spot in utter glee, suppressing a squeal of delight, the lights on his frame brightening. The stool under him shifts dangerously, cutting short his celebration, as he stills his frame and spreads his servos to prevent falling. That did not put out his mood though, ''Okay, okay!'' He places his servos back on the keyboard and leans in, ''Will you now let me through doors, please?'' 

[User has been given partial access to system and database.  
[Updating Directive...  


''Really? Thank you!'' He beams at the machine and leans back, ''What can you tell me about the power in this place? Oh and could you please tell me where materials are stored?''

Querying status of power cores...  
-Alert, power cores offline! Manual intervention required!-  
Loading directions to lesser storages and localized power cores...  
-Alert, inconsistencies detected! Data may be incomplete or fragmented!-

''Thanks again! Mech, I wouldn't know what I'd do without your help..'' _Well, we can help each other. I'll have to see about the repairs.._

[Directive updated.

''So there are localized power cores?'' The small mech asks, wondering about the power plan of this place. The computer responds by pulling up a simplified schematic.

[The facility holds three main power cores with two active at any given point. There are several separate minor cores for emergencies such as: a power outage. During such emergencies the minor cores may be activated to restore regional power to return sufficient running conditions while repairs are underway on the main cores.

''Ooooh..'' He wonders if any of them are functional. Could he even repair those if they aren't? He'll have to go find them later, which if he pulls up the map the computer provided him with his optic ridges shoot up in surprise at what he sees. _This place is huuuuuge!_ The facility is much bigger than he'd originally thought, with many passageways to other cylindrical areas, some of which lead to areas of other various shapes. Not to mention there are parts in the map that seem to be blank or otherwise indecipherable, especially the lower he goes. _This place is one giant puzzle.._ He pauses for a moment. _A maze!_ He finds the word he was looking for, along with a rising hope that he wouldn't be prone to getting lost. He frowns for only a moment before turning his attention back to the computer, ''I'll have to be back later. I need to go get some materials and find a way to restore power.'' He shifts to begin moving before he realizes something, ''Oh by the way, can I please have directions to other consoles where we can talk?''

 ~~[Loading di~~ -  
  
His HUD lights up with glyphs again.  
  
[Uploading directions to access points...  
Uploading directions to lesser storages and localized power cores...  
  
He waits patiently, watching the loading bar hastily filling up.  
  
[Upload complete.

''Thanks!'' The small mech disconnects and puts away the cable to its place in his foreservo. As the plating closes over the panel and he steps down from his stool the computer writes a final message.

[Preparing to enter stand by mode...

He reads the message as he folds the stool and magnetizes it to his backplates. ''Alright, have a good recharge. I'll see you sometime later,'' He says before the console's lights cut out followed by the lights and markings on his frame and he's left to his own devices once more. He smiles gently before turning his attention towards the way he has to go and to the pieces littering the floor that he will have to once again navigate as best as he's able. His mood drops only a tad before he shakes it off, squaring his posture as he prepares to make another journey deeper into the darkened maze-like structure that is this facility.

It's not really his function, but it _is_ his resolve.  
  


* * *

  
In hindsight he should have thought this a teensy bit more through than he already has. He's already a bit of a klutz, now he's a klutz with servos full of things that he _knows_ he needs and things he thinks he _might_ need and he has to take them all the way back home without breaking or otherwise losing anything. That would include over and around destroyed parts of the facility, up that rickety ramp of collapsed flooring and literally anything else he might step on that might make him trip. Furthermore he has to do all that as quietly as possible, though he wasn't exactly quiet earlier and he still hasn't seen anything that might classify as 'dangerous'.

Either way he made it this far - which he is proud of - and if he can actually get everything up this caved in part then the rest should be easy. _I might have to do multiple trips._ He looks at the two boxes stock full of items that he's been carrying and carefully puts them down before shaking the coiled wires and hose off his servos. The collapsed area slopes up somewhat gradually before there's a steep nearly vertical incline he'd have to jump and pull himself up to reach the upper floor.

Picking up a single box and the coil of tubing he carefully starts climbing the debris, using one servo to grab for stability while the other supports his supplies. When it came to the steep part he struggled to jump and push the box up first, sliding it further by pushing the tubing next. Then he repeated the process with the other box and wires after which he spent a few kliks doing small hops in different places and trying to gain purchase on the ledge.

With the help of his tactile sense finds a small ridge where the floor had wrinkled when the area was destroyed. _That will have to do._ He made sure that the area under his pedes is stable before looking back up at the part he's supposed to grab, digits flexing in anticipation.

The little mech crouches before jumping with all his might and reaches out. His digits curl in preparation to grab the ridge, but slip when his jump loses its upward momentum and gravity pulls his frame down. His optics widen as he falls back and lands with a loud crash, almost rolling over backward, but managing to stop any further descent with the help of his servos. A grimace adorns his faceplate at the impact and the grinding sound of his chassis sliding down before he manages to come to stop. 

The end result leaves him in a slight daze. He blinks as the shock of falling fades which promptly makes him slump, the tension leaving his frame. Venting a sigh seems to be a trend for him because he does it again whilst getting up. That drab moment does not last for long though, because almost as soon as he's standing again he's glaring at the ledge with determination. _Time for round two._ He gets back into position, rolls his shoulder joints and jumps again. He fails to get a grip once more, but this time he lands on his pedes and servos instead of crashing.

The process repeats a few more times, each attempt ending in failure. The more he tries and fails, the more his plating itches along with a small bit of trickling feeling at the back of his neck. Put that all together and you have an increasingly frustrated mech. After a particularly bad fall where he slips and tumbles all the way down the itching turns to an almost encouraging burn that he feels building in his spark and servos. He stands up and shakes off the landing, zeroing his focus in on the ledge. Then he's moving fast, getting up the gradual slope in a flash before putting power into jumping at which point the burn has coalesced into his digits. The burning fades as he grabs on to the ridge without slipping and _pulls_. He pulls until he can see over the edge at which point he swiftly finds something else to grab further ahead and releases one servo to do just that.

At this point he's grinning in glee as he finds the climb satisfying, the burning having chased the itching away in a way that feels _good._ As soon as his upper chassis is over the edge he simply pulls up one pede and rolls over, ending up laying on his backplates next to his supplies. He lets out a content hum before he realizes something's not right, multiple somethings in fact. Item number one, his digits feel weird. Lifting his servos to check he sees the reason. There's claws extending from the ends of his digits. He examines his servos, turning them this way and that way to better see the extensions that turn out to be the same color as his primary color - a vivid green. _Aah, this is so neat!_ He wiggles his digits a little before he remembers the other problem which is item number two, there should be a stool magnetized to his backplates. The small mech sits up sharply and leans closer to the edge to look down where he just came from, lighting the suspect with the light from his flashlight.

''Aw, bolts..'' Turns out the stool is laying innocently all the way down there. _It must have detached during one of my falls, which thankfully my flashlight didn't._ If he didn't enjoy that climb this much when he actually succeeded he would have been pretty displeased right now. _But turns out I have these!_ He brings up a servo to give his claws another brief onceover, grinning in anticipation. Getting down and retrieving the stool wouldn't be a problem. 

And it wasn't. He'd simply carefully slid down, retrieved and reattached the item and repeated the earlier process of climbing, but with a teensy bit more finesse now that he better knows what he's doing. Then he was standing up next to his supplies and admiring the extensions for the last time. _These are so cool!_ _Too bad I don't have any more climbing like this on my way back so I won't need them anymore right now.._ And just like that with this thought there was a 'shnk' sound and the claws were gone. The little mech gave a startled flinch at that, optics widening before it occurred to him. _Retractable claws!_

''Yesss!'' He threw his fisted servos into the air, cheering for this awesome new discovery as a whole.

 _Ok, back to work._ He bends down to pick up the coiled wires and tubing, putting them back on his servos like bracelets before carefully picking up the boxes and turning towards the direction of home, leaving his backplates to the hole he climbed. Just as he turns he feels the trickling feeling again for the umpteenth time this cycle, only this time it also itches and his servos are full so he can't even rub the area. _Now_ he _is_ displeased and his expression mirrors that, optic shutters dropping half way as he hikes up and rolls his shoulder joints to alleviate the feeling.

Suddenly his flashlight flickers, his sensors snapping open and he gets a feeling in his core that something's up. Then he hears it; or more accurately he realizes that there's shuffling and scraping behind him. _Oh, something's definitely down._ His frame tenses up and expression contorts into a frown. He turns his helm slowly to peek behind him from the corner of his vision. There in the darkness of the hole are two eerie purple orbs. _Oooh, bolts._ Two optics that are moving closer along with the scraping and shuffling that is. _Uhh.._

Any instinctual urge to be friendly towards his newly acquired company is immediately squashed by a surge from the Register. ''I'm guessing you aren't here to return something that might have I dropped, right?'' Leaves his vocalizer instead. The creature responds by letting out a static filled groan and speeding up its pace from an awkward shambling to a shambling run. And now _he's_ leaving, ''Oh bolts, oh bolts, oh bolts-!'' He repeats the mantra as he tries to balance running with not dropping anything to the best of his capability. 

Thankfully the creature is rather slow despite being much, much bigger than him, so he manages to lose it after a few frantic turns and some kliks spent hiding in the shadows of a busted open room. Though the fact that it also had to climb the hole probably helped. The sound of his vents cycling air is really loud to his audios after the predicament, leaving him frowning in his hiding place and trying to will his systems to be quieter. Then there's the fact that his whole frame is tingly and prickly which makes him uncomfortable. _So there's that dangerous part that kept getting mentioned._

The small mech tentatively peeks out from his hiding place, noting that everything's calm and quiet. His expression becomes tight-lipped as he wills out the courage to step into the open. When nothing happens he slowly starts making his way towards where he thinks is the fastest route to his quarters. The sensors on his helm are fully unfolded and alert and so is he. Without knowing it he expands a part of his senses into a wider area like he did on the first cycle. When he reaches a crossroads his senses sweep down the corridors and over a presence to his left. His helm swiftly turns towards the source his senses warn him of and find a single larger stationary purple orb in the darkness. He stumbles back and prepares to run in case it charges, but nothing happens. The orb only follows his movements when he steps to the side to be away from under its gaze.

He looks at all the other paths to make sure the coast is clear, instinctually sweeping the premises with his senses before he lets his curiosity get the better of him and whispers only loud enough that this creature should be able to hear, ''Hello?'' Nothing happens. It does not groan or move, only follows him with that optic if he moves and that has him even more curious. Wondering if it's a good idea to do what he wants to do next he gives his surroundings another cursory sweep. Eventually when it becomes clear that they are still alone he gives in and places down one of his boxes only for long enough to turn on his flashlight to see it.

The path in front of him is lit up and it becomes clear why there hasn't been an attempt at turning him into scrap metal. Everything but its helm is stuck in the golden substance. Feeling far safer than he did before he walks a little closer to it, wondering if he can do the thing he did on the first cycle. There's a suppressed surge under his chestplates which is followed by an audial spitting screech from the monster. The little mech flinches back, hunching over a little from the noise since he can't exactly cover his audials with his servos. His pained grimace turns into an expression of alarm as more loud screaming an shrieking echoes through the facility.

He almost drops his items, scrambling to turn off the flashlight before darting down a path he didn't hear any immediate sounds of danger from. His HUD lights up and feeds him information; estimates of the closest source of sound aside from him, the paths that would be better to take, really anything that might help in these dire circumstances. For him though it's hard to keep up with everything, he has half a processor to watch where he's going while the other parts of him try their best to make sense of everything.

He turns a corner just as there's a faint crash behind him, followed by periodic clanking that's getting louder, indicating something's on its way closer and gaining on him. He suppresses the urge to look and turns another corner only to come to a stop as there's a closed door blocking the path. He pins the boxes between the wall and his chassis to free up a servo to slam it against the access pad. The door opens and he darts through, dropping a box in the process. Stopping and looking back at the dropped item he sees his pursuer nearly upon his location which elicits a yelp from him. He spurs into action, dropping the other box and pulling the the one on the floor past the doorway before slamming into the access pad on his side.

The door closes obediently right before the creature smashes against it, denting it. The small mech lets out a squeak and falls on his aft, but doesn't stick around as the scratching and shrieking on the other side of the door makes him get up, grab his items and continue fleeing without looking back. The estimated direction of his home is displayed in his vision and so he follows it. On the way he comes across another monster crawling on its way down a corridor, helm bent at an awkward and painful looking angle. He hides as the creature shuffles by and waits a klik before moving out again.

Navigating the facility, always trying to keep going in the direction the arrow points he eventually comes across another closed door which opens like the last one. He closes the door after him and hurries down the hallway. The sight that greets him upon exiting this hallway makes him relieved beyond measure. _I'm home.._ Letting out a groan he promptly collapses to his knees, relaxes his servos and drops the boxes _somewhat_ gently. After this whole trip and the cycles he'd spent tinkering he's just about ready to collapse into recharge right then and there. The smart interface, however has other plans and points out the exit he'd left open when he first ventured out.

''Aw mech, can't a bot just get some rest?'' Reluctantly grabbing his stuff he stands up and makes his way over to the dark hallway, leaving the items he's carrying behind on the way there so that he can pick them up on his way to his quarters. Noting that danger sign that used to hover here has disappeared he reactivates his flashlight before slowly walking forward, hesitant at going back towards the area where the monsters roam after his experience with them. The air is still though, the only disturbances coming from himself. He peeks through the crack in the broken door and sweeps the area with any senses he can manage, the result being negative for any kind of activity. Encouraged by this he leans through the slit just as his HUD gives him a set of instructions that are highly suggested for him to follow.

''You're not telling me to do what I think you're telling me to do, are you?'' The small mech whispers. The smart interface only highlights the area under him, in front of the door and the bodies ahead of him in response before connecting a line between the two groups. ''Oooh, boooooolts,'' He runs a servo over his faceplate. Not only is he small and has to drag things bigger than him, but he's also exhausted and this all is not to even mention that Mr HUD wants him to drag _corpses_ in front of the doorway to hide the crack and minimize the chances of him getting any uninvited visitors in his recharge.

He stares at the offline frames with a thoughtful frown, weighing his options. On one end he has a hard task that feels _wrong_ in more ways than one, on the other end there's his survival which is at stake and doing this would help his chances. He leans the side of his helm next to his servo against the door with a small clank and lets out a hesitant and anxious hum. Before this anxiety over his choices could build up any further a gentle calming wave flows through his chassis. He tilts his helm downwards to look at his chestplates just as a very faint glow lights up his frame again. He feels that strangely _connected_ sensation again as feelings that aren't his own flow through his spark. There's understanding, encouragement and beckoning.

The little mech lets out a long suffering sigh and makes a decision. He slips through the barely open door, trying his best to avoid stepping on anything unfavorable and examines the chassis that's closer to him for the best place to grab. Muttering some apologies he wraps his digits around the hip plate and begins pulling, scooting it closer to the marked spot with each tug. _At least these two aren't too big,-_ He puts strength behind a more forceful tug, almost dragging it to the right spot. _-makes them easier to-_ He steps through the door and with a grunt gives one final yank, pulling the chassis against the door with a thud. _-drag._

Leaning over the frame he grabs on to the other hip plate to haul it up so that the corpse is laying on its side. Letting go he climbs over it to go and drag the other one over when there's a thud behind him that makes him jump and whip around, fearing the worst. _Oh, it just fell over._ The prickly feeling of alarm fades and he moves to correct its position, this time arranging its limbs - or what's left of them - to offer support to keep it from falling again. He doesn't realize he's shaking, he's too intent on getting the this over with and out of his processor.

The other chassis is even smaller than the first, making it easier on him to heave it over to the other and once he's through the door, pull it up to sit on the first one with its backplates against the door. Letting go he watches it to make sure it's not about to fall over as soon as he turns his backplates on it. Nodding absentmindedly since it seems to be secure he bends down to pick up the lock, turning it over a few times before finding a way to extend it. He places the device over the door and magnetizes it, effectively connecting the two sides in case anything still tries to pry it open. Then he turns and walks away as if on autopilot, bent on finally getting some recharge. He passes by his stuff on the ground, forgetting them there for the time being and makes his way to his quarters.

He enters his quarters looking like a mess. His expression and frame language is beyond exhausted and some faint smears of sticky dark energon decorate his servos and chassis along with scrapes from his failed attempts at climbing. He demagnetizes both the stool and flashlight before turning off the latter and putting the both of them away. Climbing into berth for the second time was harder than the first, but when he managed it he was already practically out cold. His chassis lets out an appreciative hiss and his recharging protocols activate, slipping him away into the unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I do have a vision for all of this, problem is that it is very ambitious. _I_ on the other hand am also pretty incompetent and have little experience when it comes to writing. So therefor I may have bit off a bit more then I can presently chew and might probably (most definitely, maybe) have to rewrite this _if_ it comes down it it in the future. But that remains to be seen, as does whether or not I can keep this train going like I intended it to. Our protagonist here does have a name, just not yet in the story and there will be more characters, but not any time soon. That is at least from the perspective of passing time within the story, which is how I first intended it to be. Can I execute it as well as I envisioned it though? Hmmm..

**Author's Note:**

> How do I even begin tagging this properly..


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